Special Report: Wading for trouble

Stacy Deprey, mother
"Alyssa was the one who was always laughing."

She also loved to swim. And when she and her sister came across a kiddie pool in the neighbor's yard, she jumped in.

Her mother found her a few minutes later. A few minutes too late.

Stacy Deprey, mother
"I just screamed and screamed and I screamed."

Alyssa had drowned. In only a couple inches of water.

Stacy Deprey, mother
"I never ever, ever thought a kiddie pool would be a danger."

While most of us are aware of the dangers of kids drowning in inground pools...small inflatable wading pools can be just as deadly.

Brian Hannigan/Safe Kids Coalition
"You only need about an inch of water for a child to drown. Just enough to cover the nose and mouth."

And these kiddie pools are growing in popularity. With over 30 thousand sold each year.

Toby Cline/pool licenser
"They're inexpensive, easy to erect and easy to put in their backyard."

But not always easy or practical to empty out the pool after each use. Meaning that they are often left in backyards... Filled with water, and unguarded.

Stacy Deprey, mother
"It may not be your daughter or your son. It may be the neighborhood kid that's walking by and says, "Ooh, a pool."

And since they're not regulated like larger pools, there's no requirement for owners to put up a fence to ensure kids keep out.

Brian Hannigan/safe kids coalition
"A toddler is going to try to climb into that and because they're top heavy, you can see how low the side of the pool is, they're going to fall in head first and they panic and they don't know how to just stand up."

So experts say it's vital that parents dump the pools after using them. Even if it's a pain.

Brian Hannigan/safe kids coalition
"We urge parents not only to empty them after each use, but to turn them upside down because if it rains, a good rain will put an inch of water in the pool."

Stacy Deprey, mother
"If the pool had been dumped out when the parents went in the house, my kids would still be riding their bikes."