Pool safety risk exposed by Adelaide toddler who scaled and unlocked fence

An Adelaide mother has filmed her toddler climbing up and opening a gate, in order to highlight safety concerns surrounding existing pool fence designs.

Wendy Atkinson posted the video of her two-year-old son Brodie scrambling up the bars of the fence on Facebook, The Sunday Mail reports.

Ms Atkinson said she was motivated to post the video after discovering her son had learned how to enter the fenced area on his own.

“The fact my son is in a nappy really brings (home) the issue,” she said.

The mother-of-four said that while supervision is key, the 21 seconds in which her son was able to break into the pool area is probably not enough time for most parents to react.

“The South Australian standard height of a pool fence is 1.2m and it’s not high enough. Clearly no fence is safe, not one of them a deterrent for some kids,” she said.

“I’m no expert by any stretch of the imagination. But my son is teaching me and others that we need to pay attention.

“Clearly there are a lot of issues with fences. Even lockable gates in an emergency situation hinder you from getting anywhere near that child in time.”

Ms Atkinson’s video has been viewed tens of thousands of times, and follows a spate of child drownings in New South Wales.

READ MORE: Lifesavers 'dismayed' by child drownings in New South Wales

Ms Atkinson said she had built the fence intending to install a pool inside, but will delay her renovations until Brodie has learned to swim with confidence.