BOSTON -- Three months after Team 5 Investigates exposed a potential danger with a Massachusetts-made pool toy, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission announced Thursday the company is voluntarily recalling four million inflatable baby floats.

"This is a serious recall and a very serious hazard for young children," said Sonia Hayes-Pleasant of the CPSC. "If parents are not vigilant -- and even if they are -- this can pose a serious hazard for drowning young children."

Team 5 Investigates obtained an internal document showing that the company had received four complaints last July that the seat of the Ticklish Turtle toy, made by Aqua-Leisure Industries of Avon, ripped suddenly, sending babies underwater.

One complaint was filed by Pennsylvania mother Britny Burka, after her infant daughter nearly drowned.

“I just heard her little hand on the side of the raft going ‘errr,’ and all I saw was her hat,” Burka said. “There was no splash. Nothing. If I didn’t hear her little hand, I mean, thank goodness I was beside her.”

The toys were sold nationwide, at stores including Target, Toys “R” Us, Wal-Mart, Dollar General, Kmart, Walgreens, Ace Hardware, and Bed, Bath & Beyond from December 2002 through June 2009 for between $8 and $15.

The Ticklish Turtle is nearly identical to Aqua-Leisure's SunSmart Float, which was recalled in 2001 after CPSC logged a dozen complaints about "seats tearing and causing children to fall into the water.”

Robert St. Jacques was the customer service supervisor at Aqua-Leisure when the complaints came in.

“I brought it to their attention immediately. I am not shy to let them know if a product has a potential injury of serious drowning issue, that’s my job,” he said.

St. Jacques said he notified management in writing after he tallied four complaints last summer, telling his bosses “this product could lead to injuries if not a child drowning.”

Click here for information about the recall.