How could this have happened??

[Gary Thill]

Mass. closes deep swimming pools after drowning

By: The Associated Press | The Associated Press | 06/29/11 7:47 PM

Authorities have closed all 30 state-run deep water public swimming pools in Massachusetts after a 36-year-old woman apparently drowned in a Fall River pool, but wasn't discovered until two days later.
The closing announced Wednesday come a day after youngsters jumped over a fence at night for a clandestine swim and found Marie Joseph's body floating in Veterans Memorial Pool at Lafayette Park.
The Department of Conservation and Recreation says the move will enable officials to review safety and operational procedures. The agency also suspended all workers at the pool.
Authorities were trying to determine if Joseph had been submerged in the pool since Sunday. Police Chief Daniel Racine says a 9-year-old boy Joseph was watching at the pool told them she slipped on a water slide and went underwater.

Read more at the San Francisco Examiner: http://www.sfexaminer.com/news/2011/06/mass-closes-deep-swimming-po...

[Nick Bacon]

This is a very shocking story but I am going to reserve my judgement until it's been determined that she was indeed in the water since Sunday because I just find it very hard to believe that an ENTIRE STAFF missed a body on the bottom of the pool for 2 days.  Needless to say if that is the case there should be terminations and loss of certifications as a result...

[bob pratt]

Nick is correct; we all need to reserve judgement until we know more. The report says "a 9-year-old boy Joseph was watching at the pool told them she slipped on a water slide and went underwater." Why didn't the boy report the accident. How did the boy get home?

I cannot imagine missing a body in the water either after the pools closes or before the pool opened. It's always the first thing done before opening the doors and the last thing done before locking the doors. Good opportunity to remind all of our guards how important bottom scans are.

I hope AI keeps up with this story. The medical examiner should be able to tell submersion time w/in @ 1-2 hours. Police reports should create a clearer time-line of the incident. There is more to this story.

[Lisa Phillips]

This is extremely disturbing. I agree we need to reserve judgement until the facts are known, however, it is unbelievable that management and health inspectors would allow a pool to continue operation if the water is so cloudy you cannot see the bottom. http://www.myfoxboston.com/dpp/news/local/body-found-in-mass-run-po... 

I guess it would be believable that she could be missed for two days if their water is so cloudy you can't see the bottom and she was in a catch pool area below a slide where people would not be swimming around to see her.

Since the autopsy is completed and they are still investigating the pool, I would think they are suspecting the extended time in the water is correct. Now they are saying that the pool permit expired Dec 31; another violation that should have closed it. Needless to say this is a very disturbing incident and a reminder to everyone if your pool is so cloudy you cannot see the bottom you need to close it! And don't forget to bottom sweep!

[John Whitmore]

See this video on CNN: http://www.cnn.com/2011/CRIME/06/30/massachusetts.pool.woman.body/i...

 

It provides more detail on the incident.

[Dave Cutler]

If the pool was cloudy and difficult to see through, which is clearly unfortunate, would it not still be analogous to guards watching people swim in a lake or open water environment? Even in those more challenging situations, I believe that guards must still supervise and account for all swimmers in the water, regardless of whether or not the guards can see swimmers after they submerge. 

Although this is a highly unusual and horrific tragedy, and one that needs further investigation for sure, it is yet another indication of the need for the acceptance and endorsement of drowning detection technologies which add critically-needed additional layers of surveillance.

Preventable drowning continues to plague our industry, at both clear- and dark-water facilities, often whether or not there is diligent staff in place, and regardless of the community's socioeconomic status. (This event might be unusual, but drowning events in guarded facilities are sadly not that unusual.)

The Wahooo SMS (WahoooSMS.com) works in clear, cloudy and dark water to determine if a swimmer has been submerged for a dangerous period of time. The system alerts staff immediately of the situation so that guards can intervene if necessary. 

Granted, the Wahooo SMS requires an investment and behavioral change. But so did seat belts, sprinkler systems, or bike and ski helmets. Just like those industries have done, it's time for aquatics to adopt technology and stop these totally needless and preventable tragedies from devastating lives and tarnishing the industry. 

[bob pratt]

Mr. Cutler,

There are huge differences between a murky pool and open water.

1. Access to deep water: in order for a person to enter water say 12' deep (like the pool in question) one simply jumps off the side or goes down the slide. At a beach that person must swim out to water 12' deep; if they cannot swim they cannot get to deep water without help  (a raft, a rip current or some other recognizable force). Should the pool swimmer submerge due to say stepping into the deep end, they could be missed and if the water is murky; well....that's why we don't allow pools with murky water. At the beach; when the non-swimmer gets in water just over their head they will be able to push off the bottom and assume the 'Instinctive Drowning Response'. Ideally guards recognize it and make the save.

2. Beach guards cannot "account for all swimmers in the water" like pool guards can. Many beaches have hundreds of patrons for each lifeguard stand. Observation skills are as important as rescue skills and preventative lifeguarding saves more lives than rescues do.

3. Supervision: many children are 'dropped off' at the neighborhood pool for cheap babysitting. Parents are much more attentive at beaches. That is not to say all parents are attentive at the beach but most are at least in the area. Non-swimming parents often report their distressed children to guards (often with a horrific scream).

I take exception to your statement that "drowning events in guarded facilities are sadly not that unusual." I'm familiar with the often quoted 'statistic' that "19% of drowning deaths involving children occur in public pools with lifeguards present". The trouble is that 'statistic is that it is attributed to the Drowning Prevention Foundation yet no where is any study or research cited. While DPF is a fine organization it's focus is advocacy not research. While my drowning research focuses on open water drownings; I review dozens of news reports every day relating to drownings and frankly do not believe that statistic. If you have supporting documentation I'd be interested in seeing it.

I don't deny the need for new technology and believe the Wahoo system has a place, but no technology would nor should allow a pool with limited visibility to remain open. Well trained  and equipped lifeguards should be patrolling all of our community pools and beaches. Swimming lessons should be mandated at schools and barriers should be mandatory at all pools.

Drowning is a complex problem with complex solutions, good luck with your product.

bob

[Dave Cutler]

Mr. Pratt,

 

I'd like to take the opportunity to clarify a few items.

 

1) I wasn't referring to water depth; I was referring to the clarity of water as a factor in detecting a potential drowning. People drown in crystal-clear water, and they drown in dark and murky water. In clear water, those in trouble are often obscured by glare, reflection, refraction and surface turbulence. My point was that drowning detection technology such as the Wahooo SMS is not impacted by water clarity and can indicate a potential drowning situation despite visual difficulties. (However, it is important to also note that people drown in both shallow water and deep water.)

 

2) Your reference to the beach guards vs. pool guards is well taken. However, the purpose of my post was to point out that if a guard is standing watch over a pool with murky water, they are still responsible for supervising the swimmers in that pool. It was not intended as a comparison of which is a more difficult task, guarding swimmers in a murky pool or swimmers in an ocean or vast body of water.  

 

3) Again, your remarks comparing parental supervision at a beach vs. at a pool are well taken (although anecdotal). But again, it was not my intention to make a comparison about how parents behave at either venue, nor was my post in any way intended to conjure up discussions about parental behavior and responsibilities. 

 

4) I'm sorry you take exception to anything I've written quite frankly. I, too, read the constant stream of news articles about drownings. With regards to your questioning the validity of the DFP statistics, I can only suggest that you contact them directly. What I can personally do is refer you to our website in which recent (and past) news articles about drowning events are posted (http://www.wahooosms.com/News/CategoryView.asp?CategoryID=5). Or, I can provide you with more detail of the drowning tragedy that took place in our hometown despite 5 responsible, well-intentioned lifeguards and 6 responsible, well-intentioned camp counselors watching the water that day. (By the way, this was the very event that inspired us to develop the Wahooo SMS.) Or, I can perhaps refer you to parents and aquatic directors who either lost someone, or nearly lost someone, to a needless and preventable drowning at a guarded facility. 

 

In addition, my post does not, in any way, either imply or state that the use of the Wahooo SMS (or any other drowning detection technology for that matter) would "allow a pool with limited visibility to remain open".  Although I think that's quite a stretch, I apologize if you or any other reader misconstrued otherwise. 

 

Finally, I'm in total agreement with you that drowning is a complex problem and that it requires complex solutions such as the ones you kindly listed. Obviously, I also adamantly believe that the time has come to embrace and advocate the use of drowning detection technology. We track the movement of products in and out of stores, and our pets in our backyards. We protect our homes with alarm systems, wear helmets to go cycling or skiing. We have seat belts, airbags, and soon, back-up cameras required in our cars. It's time we apply the same safety-minded approach to protecting people in the water. 

 

Respectfully,

 

Dave Cutler

 

p.s. For what it's worth, a quick search of some of my archives did come up with this:

 

Residential locations dominated incidents for victims under five years of age (61 percent for injuries and 84 percent for fatalities). For incidents involving children five to fourteen years of age, a greater share (48 percent for injuries and 43 percent for fatalities) occurred in public locations.

Source: http://www.poolsafely.gov/wp-content/uploads/poolsub2010.pdf

 

Of course, it must be acknowledged that occurring in "public locations" does not necessarily mean that those facilities were guarded- DC

[bob pratt]

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/07/03/mother-lifeguards-ignored-son-...

This looks BAD!! it's a 12 ft pool & Visibility was 3.5-4 ft??  As an industry we cannot allow events like his to happen. I'm just in shock!

[Melanie Sparks]

Thanks to Bob I saw this link here. As an aqua fitness instructor,  I work with several lifeguards at my pools and have seen several incidents. I believe lifeguards must be supported with a positive and supervised work environment, they must be  trained and retrained properly. With this, you can create a safer environment at almost any pool.

[Jim Wheeler]

Hmmm, I guess tragedy for some very often presents opportunity for others...

[Dave Cutler]

True. 

 

Often it's tragedies that are the impetus for invention and meaningful change.

 

For instance, the danger of heart attacks brought about portable defibrillators. Or the risk of fire, smoke detectors. Car accidents, seat belts and airbags... and so on.

 

There are many paths to opportunity. Luckily some choose paths that attempt to prevent tragedy.

[Nick Bacon]

This is from the most recent story I've seen.  THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE! who runs a pool like this???

 

"The body was hidden in murky water that prevented a scuba diver, sent into the pool on June 29, from being seen at a depth of four feet."

Read more: http://www.heraldnews.com/archive/x311101186/Fall-River-pool-inspec...