A frantic mother thought her son had been killed when she found him lying motionless after a paddling pool burst.
Thankfully, David Spears, ten, of Stafford Walk, Canvey, suffered no lasting injury, but his mother Lorraine, 43, is worried a younger child could have been badly hurt.
Now she is urging people to be wary of such pools.
She said: "My son was in the pool in the garden and I was just in the kitchen doing the dinner, but I was going to go out and join him later.
"The pool just suddenly blew up. I heard a bang and went outside and David was just lying there in the garden. I thought he was dead, he was as white as a ghost."
The £300 pool came from Crystal Clear Leisure at View Garden Centre, Chelmsford Road, Rawreth.
Alan Craik, manager of Crystal Clear Leisure said: "We don't know what happened with this, but we are investigating.
"We didn't do the installation, but if it was badly installed that could have caused problems."
He emphasised that pools needed to be used according to the manufacturers instructions, and added: "I am ready to give the lady another pool."
Essex County Council's trading standards department has had no similar complaints reported but if anyone else has an incident like this to report they are asked to ring the advice line on 01245 341888
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