Please read this story...sad news
www.wenatcheeworld.com/.../
(NOTE: If the link doesn't get you to the story, click on the "HOME" button on the newspaper website, it'll be the "front page story". It's being updated frequently, so this link could be ever changing.)
Very very sad story and circumstance that happened today at the high school pool. :( I really feel sorry for the parents of this person, and I'm sure a lawsuit of some kind will be coming. I'm just glad I wasn't one of the teachers who was supposed to be "watching" the class.
I swim with my masters group every morning in this pool, and for the remainder of the month, ALL groups are out of the pool. Apparently the high school P.E. classes that use the pool for their swimming portion of the year, do so with the regular P.E. teachers supervising. Not a trained lifeguard, water instructor, etc. type of person. Just a regular old teacher.
I just talked with my masters coach, and she got the call from the school that said we are out, along with the swim team is out, and every user group out till the end of the month while they "do an investigation".
Basically what is going to be happening, is that they are going to require having a paid lifeguard on deck while all groups are using the pool. Not a problem for us to pay for that in the morning for masters, but kinda sucks that we're out till December. Hopefully we'll be able to return then, if not sooner!
I will still be able to swim in the afternoons at the YMCA pool, but I do enjoy my mornings.
I, too, remember very vigorous physical requirements for lifeguard certification. Including treading water while holding a brick (don't remember how long, felt like forever). But great conditioning and skills mean little if the guard isn't watching the pool.
Where I swim every morning at 5:30 we have had several lifeguards who do everything but watch the pool: study, text, type on the computer, spend long periods in the bathroom and one guy even shaved while lifeguarding. I reported this many times (plenty of old people and weak swimmers come down for lap swimming) but no action taken. Eventually, these guys moved on to other things and the group there now is more conscientious. Nevertheless, it is disturbing.
To watch a group of teenagers in a crowded pool you have to be very alert. It just seems that most pool lifeguards I have seen recently haven't had that drilled in to them.
I, too, remember very vigorous physical requirements for lifeguard certification. Including treading water while holding a brick (don't remember how long, felt like forever). But great conditioning and skills mean little if the guard isn't watching the pool.
Where I swim every morning at 5:30 we have had several lifeguards who do everything but watch the pool: study, text, type on the computer, spend long periods in the bathroom and one guy even shaved while lifeguarding. I reported this many times (plenty of old people and weak swimmers come down for lap swimming) but no action taken. Eventually, these guys moved on to other things and the group there now is more conscientious. Nevertheless, it is disturbing.
To watch a group of teenagers in a crowded pool you have to be very alert. It just seems that most pool lifeguards I have seen recently haven't had that drilled in to them.
