Child drowns at fitness center pool...unbelievable...

Being a father myself, I cant understand why that would happen.  That should never happen. If you are taking a child to swim, wouldnt it make sense that you stay with that child? Kiddie pool or not, it doesn't take very much water to drown. Dad too busy oogling the lifeguards to notice his daughter missing? That breaks my heart. Now I wanna go and hug my kids.

Heartbreaking indeed.

This is getting so depressing: "dead neglected child" week in COJ. 

*sigh* That is tragic, tragic news.

I can't be so quick to condemn the father, though. Things - standards - have really changed. When I was a kid, my sisters and I would head to the community swim pool - Olympic sized with a deep diving well. We had to wear badges sewn to our swimsuits - one color badge meant you were restricted from entering the diving well area. To get the other badge (meaning total access), you had to swim the length of the 50meter pool. We spent almost every summer day in that pool and we walked - unescorted by adults - to the pool from our house. That was on an AFB which was very secure but we repeated this pattern when we moved to Tampa and off base. I remember life guards at the AFB pool; I remember only 1 lifeguard at the 25yd pool in Tampa. And no parents on deck to keep watchful eyes on us. And nobody thought there was anything odd about that.

But... things change. When I was with my nephews last year, I would not go into the bathroom while the boys were in the pool. I made sure I was on the pool deck and watching them when they were in the water. Mostly because I couldn't live with myself if anything happened to them while they were in my care. But it sure is different than the way my mother raised her 5 girls and nobody ever called her negligent.

Having our own scare at the pool a few weeks ago, it's crazy what can happen.  Our son 3yrs old went into the deep pool  for a few seconds before my wife realized he wasn't next to her (she is also watching our 2yr old).  When she noticed he was gone, she saw the boat he was playing with in the other pool and his little hands reaching out of the water.  She ran over and pulled him out just as the life guard saw what was happening. 

Poor Hunter was a little blue, but immediatly started coughing and breathing.  It happened so fast but the poor life guard (a 15 year old boy) freaked out and left her alone to go throw up in the life guard area.  

What blows my mind, is there were many people near hunter as he struggled under the water, including mothers and parents who didn't life a finger to help a flailing 3 yr old under the water.   

It just takes a split second.

What I don't understand about this case is, how did the Dad not figure out where his child was until after they cleared the whole pool. 

This is my pool.  The girl drowned in the leisure pool (they also have a dedicated lap pool in the facility), which at its deepest is 4 feet.  I have mixed feelings on this situation.  It's tragic, there is no question about that.  I think the father is at fault more than anyone.  Based on what I have seen and experienced with the lifeguards here, I can't say that I am overly surprised.  I don't mean this to offend all lifeguards, or even all of the lifeguards at this particular LTF, but there are definitely not eyes on both pools at all times.  No way.  No chance. 

I was there last night for a workout, the lap pool is 25m, 4 lanes.  At any given point there were 8-12 people in this pool (they max the lanes at 3 people).  One lifeguard was on duty.  I had just finished my workout and was drying off at the side of the pool.  The lifeguard left, and was gone for probably two minutes, as she went to get a bin of towels to restack the shelf.  That means the pool was left unattended for that period of time (and let us not forget Deanna Babcock's thread over in TT).

The leisure pool isn't open all the time.  Usually when it is open, there will be two guards in the pool area.  But most times it seems that both guards gravitate to the same side of the leisure pool, leaving the lap pool unattended.  Things just don't add up with the way that they monitor the pools (not having ever been a lifeguard, it doesn't make sense to me from a swimmer's point of view).  When I used to swim at the YMCA, I hated the guards there because they never used their whistles and kids ran free, but at least there were always several sets of eyes on the pool.

This is my gym as well, and I second that - I have never really felt there were enough lifeguards working and paying attention, especially when the leisure pool is open.  The leisure pool can be a complete madhouse when it's open and they definitely need more folks watching it. 

I wasn't there last Friday, so I don't know how many guards were on when it happened.  Last night, when I referenced the one guard being on duty, only the Lap Pool was open.  (The leisure pool is actually closed for cleaning until this weekend).

The leisure pool, like you mentioned, has all the structures that kids love.  The two slides dump into the 4 foot end, but most of the other stuff is in water that's no deper than one or two feet (I think the article mentioned she was in 4 feet of water).  Sad story.  Hopefully it prompts them to rethink how their guards work, but based on what I saw yesterday, it doesn't seem like it so far.

I am going to jump in here....I managed LTF's in Illinois.  Operations.  1) The lap pool is never "Guarded"  as it is a lap pool and no children should be in that pool. Period. (This is supposed to be monitored by management of the club.)

Leisure Pool- This is supposed to be guarded by a minimum of 3 to 4 guards if done properly.  This is of course depended on the number of people swimming.  The minimum for indoor pool is three.  Outdoor pool is 5.  If this is not done than you should complain to the management and have it corrected.

I was very conscience of the amount of guards at all times at my LTF and went over labor budgets to ensure that it was staffed properly. 

I have guarded for Ten Years prior to manageing the facility and have had no drownings.  To fault only the father is wrong, Though he is ultimately responsible.  There is no way a child should go unnoticed in a properly guarded pool.

As I guarded pools parent s were always the key to my guarding the pool.  It is difficult to watch all children in a pool.  When a parent moved fast it let me know there was trouble in that area of the pool.  I worked and met with many parents to help me keep a safe pool.