The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has issued a massive recall that impacts over 5 million pools after 9 children died in drowning accidents over 15 years. The recall affects above ground pools measuring 48 inches or higher that included compression straps that wrapped around the outside of the pool. The recall goes as far back as 2002 and impacts brands Intex, Polygroup, and Bestway. According to the recall, 9 children between the ages of 22 months and three years drowned in California, Texas, Florida, Michigan, Wisconsin and Missouri from 2007 to 2022. The children allegedly used the compression straps as a foothold to hoist themselves into the pool even without a ladder. Consumers impacted by the recall were encouraged to contact their pool’s manufacturer and receive a free repair kit that includes a rope that will be at ground level to maintain the integrity of the pool. Consumers are advised to install the repair first before removing the compression straps. The CPSC stated the intention of the recall is “to prevent unsupervised children from gaining a foothold on the products from compression straps that surround the outside of the pool legs.”

Given the amount of time that has passed since the initial drowning incident and the long span of manufacture years, CPSC Acting Chairman Peter A. Feldman and Commissioner Douglas Dziak issued a joint statement about the recall. They called the compression straps “a textbook example of a dangerous design flaw, plainly visible and clearly hazardous.” The statement accused the Biden administration of “inaction” on making moves to stop the preventable deaths. “Instead of recalling these products, then-Chairman Hoehn-Saric and his majority on the Commission were distracted elsewhere. This was unacceptable,” the statement noted. They stated after the Trump administration took office, they were finally able to negotiate a recall, which they called, “the largest of its kind in agency history.” Bestway, Intex, and Polygroup responded with a statement that they were “actively engaged in continuously reviewing and updating product safety standards for many years” and that new safety standards were finalized in May 2025.

Some consumers responded with frustration over the recall. “every pool is a drowning hazard… DUMBEST RECALL EVER.. its called.. Watch your kids.. teach water safety,” wrote one user on X. “Can someone explain to us like we’re 5 why they are recalling pools sold all the way back to 2002? Now?” wrote another. Feldman, however, celebrated the recall. “CPSC recalls 5 million deadly pools after 9 child drownings,” he wrote on X. “My predecesors ignored this hazard for years—focusing instead on DEI, training Chinese businesses, and exploring a nationwide ban on gas stoves. New leadership is focused on safety.”