NEW YORK (AP) – The over 5.2 million ground swimming pools sold in the US and Canada over the past 20 years have been recalled after nine people reported deaths of their own.
The recall covers the range of Bestway, Intex Recreation and Polygroup pools sold by major retailers dating back to 2002. These pools have compression straps that run along the outside of the product, according to a Monday notification issued by the US Consumer Product Safety Commission and Health Canada.
It could pose a serious risk of drowsing, safety regulations warn. So far, the CPSC believes nine children across the US have owned after accessing these now-imagined pools. These deaths occurred between 2007 and 2022, involving children between 22 months and 3 years of age. No additional deaths have been reported in Canada.
Consumers who own these pools will immediately contact Bestway, Intex and/or PolyGroup to receive a free repair kit. This consists of ropes that replace the compression strap. The owners of these pools should otherwise ensure that the small children cannot access the pool without supervision, and instead can drain the pool until repairs are made.
All recalled pools are under 48 inches. It can be identified by the brand and model names listed in both the CPSC and the Health Canada recall notice. Pool sales ranged by model and location, but date back to 2002 and until recently 2025.
Approximately 5 million of these currently envisaged pools were sold in the US, including both online and in-store from major retailers such as Walmart, Target, Lowe’s, Costco and Amazon. An additional 266,000 were sold in Canada.
Original issue: July 21, 2025, 11:13am EDT
