4 year old boy drowns at LifeTime Fitness (Austin)

amen.... i'm a father of a 4yo boy and we have a pool. my 15y.o nephew and 16y.o. niece just came to visit for the summer and the first house rule we discussed was - NO swimming until I or my wife came home.

I'm sure they are actually better swimmers than me, but responsibility is forged partially from fear, and although I know they love my little boy immensly, I think they simply have too much of a "nothing's gonna happen" attitude because of their innocence...

 

the lifeguard was probably certified in CPR but just didn't remember.

It is so easy to get a CPR certification without really even knowing what to do.

I took CPR certification at the Red Cross and when it came time for the test they actually went over the answers as we took the test

 

I watch my kids and friends kids like a hawk when they are in our pool. You can never be too careful around the water with your kids.

 

I almost drowned at fame city once when I was young. lifeguard saved me. Ever since then I'm very squeamish about kids near pools. I still can't swim but I always make sure I scan the pools when kids are around to make sure the same thing doesn't happen to them.

 

Happened to me when I was 8 or 9. I was swimming in a friends pool at their birthday party and decided to swim further than I was so I could impress the cool kids and before I knew it I was splashing and thrashing but not really making a sound cos I was drowning. Luckily a few people saw me and helped me out. I am not a dad but I am still anal about folks watching their kids while they swim. Don't trust any one else.

 

I remember when I was first learning how to swim (maybe 5 or 6 yo), I wanted to go down the slide - usually my dad would catch me at the bottom. But for some reason, I was convinced that I could handle it without him. I waited until he had to go to the bathroom, I slid down, landed in the water, and panicked. I at least remembered to jump off the bottom to get up and get some air, but that's as far as I ever got. I had to keep jumping for air because I couldn't remember to start swimming. It was all I could do to get air, let alone scream. Luckily the lifeguards at my pool were awesome and "rescued" me within seconds. My dad came out of the bathroom to see the lifeguards swimming me to the pool stairs.


You can believe I got the biggest butt whoopin' for trying that stunt, and you can also believe that my dad was never more than 5 feet away the rest of the summer.

 

horrible

thanks DaDa, this is a good message, you see so many kid drownings this time of year in Texas, really sad

 

Kids drown in bathtubs, there is no way I would let my kid leave my sight in a pool. My brother had to jump in to get my 4 year old niece after she jumped into the water and got a little deeper than she could handle. He lost his brand new Treo but it was well worth it.

 

I totally agree, lifeguards cannot be trusted. I once drowned when I was really young cus my friends jumped in the deep end pool and well.. monkey see, monkey do. I remember a middle age, hairy guy pulling me up after I was down for at least a good 5-10 seconds. He wasn't a lifeguard.

 

I was a lifeguard, and people hated me. Everyone said I was too "strict". I didn't let the kids horse around enough. Well, if I am watching these kids, and theres 25 kids screaming, dunking each other, it gets tough to tell whats play, and when a kid is in danger. So, I'll let it go for a little bit, but then it has to stop so everyone can catch their breath and relax. And then parents complain that there 6 year old, who can barley tread water, isn't having any fun because I'm being "too cautious".

If the lifeguard didn't know CPR, he shouldn't be a lifeguard. If the lifeguard wassn't paying attention, he shouldn't be a lifeguard. Its not BayWatch...you're not in that chair to look at chicks (althoug it is a plus).

 

That was imadrummer2k.

 

My (almost 2 year old) daughter loves to go swimming in an inflatable pool we have in the back yard. I barely fill it up half way to her knee and still never take my eyes off her.

I'm paranoid about three things with her:

1. water
2. the street
3. the stairs

You have to watch your kids. It's not always fun, but you have to do it.

 

I don't think I'll be taking my kids to the pool when I have one (kid), unless he/she is in my arms. Well part of it is because I have a small fear of water (big fear if it's the beach or ocean) because of too many drownings as a kid.

 

Any parent who would trust somebody other than themselves to watch their kid in a pool setting to ensure their child is safe is asking for trouble. To me, that doesn't constitute being a good parent. That said...like has been mentioned...it can be tough to tell when a kid is playing versus drowning. But, if you are paying attention to the situation, then you should be able to make the right call and not be an idiot about it. The bottom line is you need to have your hawk eyes on your kid(s) pretty much at all times.

Would a responsible parent drop their young kid off at a neighbor's house for a pool party and not stick around to make sure their kid is safe? You better trust whomever is watching them that they are 100% on top of the situation and don't even turn their backs for a moment. If I were a parent, then I wouldn't trust anyone to do that job. It would be necessary for me to be at that party watching my own kid(s)...or they are not going to that party. Period.

All these kids drowning when there is adequate supervision around but, for whatever reason, the kid still drowns...is some f-ed up *****.

 

I was at a Lifetime Fitness in Flower Mound (outside of Dallas) last summer and a kid was struggling and the lifeguard wasn't paying attention...Luckily the Dad jumped in and got him...

 

Sad story.

My kids know how to swim slightly, but we put them in swimming classes every summer if we can, just as a refresher, and to continue their practice. Hopefully by this year they learn it completely.

[Hispanic] Ghost posting from the grave?

"When I was young..." - G-Lo

If any of you don't know how to swim, learn. We had to learn in order to get to this land of opportunity... that current was tough on the Rio Grande...

 

You and me both. We belong to Lifetime Fitness and I watch my kids like a hawk. My son, who is 4 1/2, thinks he's a good swimmer and tries to go deeper than he should. I have to constantly tell him to come back to where he can stand. I've also had to yell at both he and his sister for accidentally dunking each other. They don't realize the other can't breathe underwater.