Toddler easily climbs pool ladder meant to keep kids safe, parents warn others

A video of a Massachusetts toddler climbing a locked pool ladder has parents sending out a warning to others.

Last week, Attleboro resident Keith Wyman posted a video of his two-year-old son Cody climbing up a pool ladder meant to keep kids safe.

READ MORE: Dad takes toddler on 60-metre ‘rope swing’ drop, causes outrage

The video shows the toddler in a diaper pull himself up the ladder, in a matter of seconds, as his father shows how easy it is even though the ladder is locked. “Whose big idea was it to have this door put on a ladder with slots like that with a two-year-old that can pull himself up,” he said in the video.

As he gets to the top, Wyman’s wife, Tonya, pull him off.

Speaking with NBC 10 News on Monday, Wyman said he first realized his son was trying to climb the ladder when he and his family were all in the backyard. Within two seconds, he adds, Cody had already climbed up.

“If a two-year-old can do it, a six-year-old can do it,” he told the news station. “You can’t not watch them for one second because it only took him two seconds to climb that thing without stairs.”

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "If a two-year-old can do it, a six-year-old can do it," he told the news station. "You can't not watch them for one second because it only took him two seconds to climb that thing without stairs."

READ MORE: Trampolines for toddlers — Why this mother is warning other parents

The ladder, which was manufactured by Canadian company Vinyl Works in Port Colborne, Ont., was bought at a local pool supply store he adds. Wyman told NBC 10 News the company did not get back to him on replacing the ladder, although workers at the local pool shop offered a replacement.

Global News has also reached out to Vinyl Works Canada for a statement, but the company appears to be permanently closed after a fire in February.

The ladder is still available for purchase at Walmart Canada for $638, and is described as a “super-strong entry system is a hybrid between a ladder and step.”

Social media users react

The video, which now has more than 20 million views, has caused a reaction from parents around the web.

“A determined child who can climb would figure out how to climb the fence the product was not child proof let those who would like to use as a training tool please do,” user Michael Lynne Hojnacke wrote.

“I’m sure the ladder says the same thing every thing else does…parent supervision. They can help you, but ultimately they can’t plan for everything and you will have to watch your child and teach them no,” user Amy McArthur Reilly wrote.

Several others suggested removing the ladder altogether.

“If possible take the ladder out. When I was growing up we had a pool in the backyard it was above ground and my dad used to flip the stairs into the pool and once I got older he took the stairs out completely when I started learning how to climb. If possible also think about putting a fence around it with a lock on the gate! This is why I’m petrified to have a pool until my daughter is old enough to understand you don’t go near it unless someone is with you,” user Victoria Zajkowski Ngo wrote.

Pool safety tips for toddlers

And with the recent news of U.S. Olympic skier Bode Miller’s 19-month-old daughter dying after accidentally drowning in a pool in California, parents should always be aware how close their child is to open waters of any kind.

Speaking with Global News in June, Adam Di Fulvio of the Montreal Institute of Swimming broke down three ways (ABCs) parents can keep their children safe this summer.

READ MORE: Mom left devastated after toddler dies choking on bouncy ball

For starters, always watch your children, especially if they are in or near a pool.  Di Fulvio says most parents think sitting on the side counts as supervision, but this isn’t always enough.

Practice touch supervision, he adds, which means always staying within arms-length of the weaker swimmers.

Another smart precaution? Know how to swim yourself, he adds, adding this way both the parent and child know proper safety techniques.