Toddler Climbs “Unclimbable” Pool Ladder by Himself, Scaring Parents Across the Country

If you ever needed proof that toddlers need to be watched 24/7, here it is: a video of 2-year-old Cody Wyman making his way up a gate specifically designed to block the ladder on an above-ground pool.

The Wymans were enjoying the good weather in their backyard in Attleboro, Massachusetts, on Monday and watched as their son toddled over to the pool, and started making his way up the gate. Once they saw what was happening, they captured it on video, hoping to use it to warn other parents about the dangers of leaving small children unsupervised. Had they not been paying full attention, Cody would have made it into the pool.

Take a look:

As you can see, it took Cody about 30 seconds to make his way up the ladder-blocking gate, and if his mother hadn’t removed him from it, he would have been in the water a few moments later. Keith, Cody’s dad, posted the video on his Facebook page as a helpful reminder to other parents, with the message:

“I’m posting this video after I found my 2 year old Cody trying to climb our pool ladder when it was closed and locked I just got it with the new pool Tonya and I stress you to watch your kids around pools I will be buying a new type of ladder!! “Kid has some serious upper body strength“

The message clearly resonated: So far it has racked up over 23 million views and over 688,000 shares.

Cody was never in any real danger, as his parents were watching him the entire time, but the situation could easily have ended tragically. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that two children a day die from drowning in the United States. And, as the Wymans learned, taking what seems like effective precautions might not be enough. They went back to the store where they bought their gate and ladder, and were offered a replacement, but all the other products had the same type of design. The “unclimbable” wall is obviously not so unclimbable after all.

The Wymans have used their experience (and their athletic, agile son) to warn others, especially as summer is arriving, to make sure kids are never left unsupervised near water. Message heard, loud and clear.

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