Product Recalls
We Want Your Family to be Safe
Dive Sticks Pose a Swimming Pool Hazard
June 24, 1999
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and 15 firms are announcing the recall of more than 19 million dive sticks used in swimming pools. In shallow water, children can fall or land on a dive stick and suffer rectal or vaginal impalement. Facial and eye injuries also are possible when children attempt to retrieve the sticks under water.
According to CPSC Chairman Ann Brown, these dives sticks are dangerous and should not be used.
CPSC knows of six impalement injuries and one facial injury to children 6 to 9 years old. Although the number of reported incidents is relatively low, the severity of the injuries that have occurred is very significant. Three of the children suffered rectal and three suffered vaginal impalements from dive sticks placed in backyard pools or, in one case, a hot tub. In four of the six incidents, the injuries that occurred required surgery and hospitalization. The facial injury occurred when a child bobbed down to retrieve a dive stick and lacerated her face just below her eye, requiring stitches.
The dive sticks being recalled are hard plastic and are either cylinder-shaped or shark-shaped. When dropped into water, the dive sticks sink to the bottom of a pool and stand upright so that children can swim or dive down and retrieve them. The cylinder-shaped plastic sticks measure about 4 to 8 inches long and about 1 inch or less in diameter. The shark-shaped plastic sticks measure about 7 inches long and have an egg-shaped bottom. The sticks come in a variety of colors. Most are packaged in kits of three to six sticks, and some are packaged with other pool diving games.
These dive sticks have been sold at grocery, drug, pool and discount department stores nationwide for about $4 to $7 per set under numerous brand names, most of which do not appear on the dive stick itself. Consumers should stop using dive sticks immediately and throw them out.
Depending on the sticks owned, consumers can receive a refund, replacement or repair.
Company Quantity Recalled How to ID Throw out or...
Florida Pool 9 million Sold primarily at Wal-Mart Get repair kit at Wal-Mart.
Poolmaster 2 million "Poolmaster" imprinted on stick Call (800) 854-1492 for a replacement.
J&M Industries 897,000 "Made in USA" imprinted on stick Get a replacement stick at the store where purchased.
All others: Return to store where purchased for a refund or repair.
CPSC urges anyone who is aware of injuries with dive sticks or who has questions about the recall to call CPSC's hotline at (800) 638-2772.
The CPSC staff is recommending to the Commission that it ban the future production and importation of these products.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 19, 2003
Release # 03-126 Swimway's Hotline: (800) 889-7946
CPSC Consumer Hotline: (800) 638-2772
CPSC Media Contact: Mark Ross, (301) 504-7908
CPSC, Swimways Corp. Announce Recall of Pool Dive Sticks
WASHINGTON, D.C. - In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Swimways Corp., of Virginia Beach, Va., is voluntarily recalling about 25,000 packages of dive sticks (each package contains four dive sticks), which fail to meet the commission's safety requirements. Children can fall or land on these dive sticks in shallow water and may suffer impalement injuries.
The commission and Swimways Corp. have not received any reports of incidents or injuries with these dive sticks. This recall is being conducted to prevent injuries.
These are "Swim Ways Deluxe Dive Buddies" weighted dive sticks. The dive sticks are soft plastic tubes that have character heads and feet. The characters are a yellow seahorse, a green and purple walrus, a red and blue underwater diver, and a blue shark. The dive sticks are about 7.5 inches long and an inch in diameter. When dropped into water, they sink to the bottom of a pool and stand upright so children can swim or dive down and retrieve them. There is no writing on the products except numbers located on the backs that represent the dive stick's point value. The cardboard-backed packaging shows a photo of fish and coral in an underwater scene. Writing on the packaging includes "Swim Ways," "Deluxe Dive Buddies" and "Made in China."
Specialty pool stores nationwide sold these dive sticks from December 2002 through May 2003 for about $6.
Consumers should take these dive sticks away from children immediately and contact Swimways for information on receiving a refund or free replacement product. For more information, contact Swimways at (800) 889-7946 between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or visit the firm's Web site at www.Swimways.com. Consumers also can write to Swimways Corp., 5816 Ward Court, Virginia Beach, VA 23455.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 16, 2005
Release #05-112 Firm's Recall Hotline:(800) 678-9258
CPSC Consumer Hotline: (800) 638-2772
CPSC Media Contact: (301) 504-7908
CPSC, Dollar General Corp. Announce Recall of Dive Sticks
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed.
Name of product: Dive Sticks
Units: About 180,000 dive stick packages
Manufacturer: The Dollar General Corp., of Goodlettsville, Tenn.
Hazard: Children can fall or land on these upright dive sticks in shallow water and suffer impalement injuries. CPSC banned pre-weighted dive sticks in 2001.
Incidents Reported: None reported
Description: The dive sticks are hard plastic in the shape of worms, fish, and seahorses. The worm dive sticks are sticks with ridges that are green with an orange weighted ball or pink with a yellow weighted ball on the bottom. The fish dive sticks are pink and yellow or green and orange. The seahorse dive sticks are yellow with a blue tail or pink with a yellow tail. All of the dive sticks are about 7 inches long. "Made in China" is written on the fish and seahorses. "Sun and Shade" is written on each package. There are two worms per package and three fish or seahorses per package.
Sold at: Dollar General stores nationwide from April 2004 through September 2004 for about $1.
Manufactured in: China
Remedy: Consumers should take these dive sticks away from children immediately and return them to Dollar General stores for a refund, or discard them.
Consumer Contact: Contact Dollar General at (800) 678-9258 between 9:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. ET Monday through Friday or visit their Web site at www.dollargeneral.com
