quote:Jones said according to the parents, Samuel was participating in a swimming activity at day camp at the park. Witnesses told authorities that the boy was pulled from the water by a local man who was swimming at the pool.
Jones said lifeguards were present at the pool. Local emergency personnel tried to revive the boy at the scene.
This tragic death was 100% preventable; most drownings are. There is absolutely no excuse for it. "Swimming activity at day camp" means there should have been day camp employees around to watch him and "lifeguards were present at the pool" on top of that!
I realize parents have to work and put their kids in these camps for the summer, but these places should be researched carefully. All staff should be trained and certified in CPR and the ratio of child care worker to child should be very small.
Personally, unless my child was a good swimmer, I would not allow him/her to go to a "swimming activity" at these places because you just can't be assured the staff will keep their eyes on the child. It only takes a brief moment for a child to drown in a pool; therefore, 100% vigilance at all times is required.
I was at a pool party/cookout a few weeks ago where the pool area was separated from the cookout area by a fence. Mainly it was the older children in the pool at the time and I happened to be in the area as well when two little ones - toddlers - came walking over to the pool. Both children got within two feet of it when I jumped up, put an arm out in front of each child and gently encouraged them to walk a safe distance away from the pool area. A couple of minutes later they came back in so I stayed there to be sure those kids didn't fall in. The parents, I'm sure, didn't realize the children had come so close to the pool, but they had turned away and were busy talking to other adults.
It only takes a few seconds for tragedy to happen so please watch your little ones this summer, and the kids who aren't the strongest of swimmers. This story just breaks my heart and I can only imagine how the parents are feeling right now.