Has any child ever really died in a 5 gallon bucket?

Question

If not, why are there the warnings that say a child could drown in one?

Answer 1

Absolutely it happens! Part of the problem is that a toddler's body is of different proportions than an older child or adult - their head size is bigger and heavier, so they're top-heavy. That makes it very difficult to get back out of a bucket (or toilet).

Answer 2

of course! A young toddler can die in just a few inches of water. Imagine a 1 year old falling in head first in a 5 gallon  bucket with a few inches of water. They aren't strong enought to pull themselves out and if nobody was around, they would drown. Many people seem to think kids can only drown in waters that are deeper than they are tall.  HUGE misconception. Happens all too often and very preventable

Answer 3

I don't know of specific cases, but yes a child could drown in a small amount of water.  Anytime they can't remove their face from the water becomes a drowning hazard.

http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/pubs/5006.ht...

http://www.plasticsinfo.org/s_plasticsin...

http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abs...