Saved an 18 month old at the pool today

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The lifeguard is supposed to reinforce the rules. A child is not allowed in the pool premises without supervision. He/She should be watching that.

Sounds like someone likes to blame others for their parenting shortcomings...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The lifeguard is supposed to reinforce the rules. A child is not allowed in the pool premises without supervision. He/She should be watching that.

Sounds like someone likes to blame others for their parenting shortcomings...

Of course parents should be watching their children and you know full well nobody here is arguing they shouldn't. But what do you think a lifeguard's job is if not watching out for things like kids falling into the water? Isn't that a primary role of the lifeguard?

[Anonymous]

THe PPs trying to make this about the lifeguard don't seem to get how things work at many community pools. At our neighborhood pool, the baby pool is in a totally separate area from the main pool and lap pools. It is fenced in but clearly marked as not attended by a lifeguard. So there's neither the expectation nor the actual capability of lifeguard supervision - they would have to have long distance Xray vision to see through the clubhouse. And while I appreciate the life guards in the main pool area, I still consider it my responsibility as a parent to keep close tabs on my younger elementary-aged child who can swim reasonably well while he's in the big pool.

[Anonymous]

I am sure the lifeguard's job description includes being on the lookout for unsupervised children. This is why OP should say something, to remind them that another parent may not come to the rescue next time. If anything happened, it wouldn't be the lifeguard's fault, it would be the parent's. A reminder could heighten lifeguards' awareness this summer and literally save a life.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am sure the lifeguard's job description includes being on the lookout for unsupervised children. This is why OP should say something, to remind them that another parent may not come to the rescue next time. If anything happened, it wouldn't be the lifeguard's fault, it would be the parent's. A reminder could heighten lifeguards' awareness this summer and literally save a life.

Former lifeguard here. As a lifeguard, you are not in fact responsible to be on the lookout for unsupervised children outside of your specific zone. Lifeguards are assigned a very specific area of the pool to watch and they are expected to watch it. CAREFULLY. Nobody is assigned to the baby pool at my community pool and this is clearly stated --- use at own risk. It's also clearly stated that no child under the age of 10 may be in any area of the pool without a parent accompanying. Nonetheless, I frequently have to stop children from entering the baby pool enclosure by themselves (those old enough to work the complicated gate) because parents ignore both rules. Trust me, you do not want the lifeguard who is charged with watching the deep end, or the left side of the shallow end, or the guard who has total pool responsbility (there is usually overlap) to be watching the unguarded grounds. A moment of distraction by the lifeguard can be the difference between saving a life and performing CPR on an unresponsible victim...perhaps after it is too late. Guards have very specific duties. Monitoring an unmonitored baby pool is not one of them. Agree should say something -- pool management should keep an eye on this family and if their young children are going around unsupervised, they are breaking the rules and putting their kids (and the whole pool, in terms of liability) at risk and deserve to have their membership revoked if management sees them doing this.

[Anonymous]

I'm the poster "blaming" it on the LG.
I'm a former LG, swimming instructor/coach and any decent pool has one LG roaming around making sure that nobody is "breaking the rules".
Each LG is assigned a role and usually the LG checking for passes is the one on the look for people with food in the water, checking on babies and swimming diapers, glass around the pool area, calling out children running and etc.
Also OP should had called out this parent and pointed them out to the LG. Saving the child, saying nothing to the parents and running back home to post it anonymously online does not good.

[Anonymous]

I'm calling bullshit on the supposed former lifeguard talking about the lifeguards checking on swim nappies and looking at tags. No pool I've ever worked at has lifeguards check the passes / tags. So much about your post screams "I have never worked at a pool." Lifeguards are responsible for following the rules in their section.

Besides, even if there was this santa claus of a lifeguard watching over all the kiddies and all the rules, do you really think you can assign blame to this lifeguard for missing one child? Sorry. Any parent whose 18 month old drowns or nearly drowns in a kiddie pool has only one person to blame -- the person who was supposed to be watching the child. In this case, the parents.

I guarantee you weren't a lifeguard.

[Anonymous]

I'm not questioning the rightness of your position, but God forbid something happens on your watch, I hope your first response isn't this impetuous, "Well, this certainly isn't my fault..."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm calling bullshit on the supposed former lifeguard talking about the lifeguards checking on swim nappies and looking at tags. No pool I've ever worked at has lifeguards check the passes / tags. So much about your post screams "I have never worked at a pool." Lifeguards are responsible for following the rules in their section.

Besides, even if there was this santa claus of a lifeguard watching over all the kiddies and all the rules, do you really think you can assign blame to this lifeguard for missing one child? Sorry. Any parent whose 18 month old drowns or nearly drowns in a kiddie pool has only one person to blame -- the person who was supposed to be watching the child. In this case, the parents.

I guarantee you weren't a lifeguard.

I don't need you to believe me. That's kinda laughable - an anonymous person doubting anonymous words in an anonymous forum - "seriously" LOL here.
Anyway, I only worked in big pools - what here in US is known as "community pools" used for competition and recreation. I worked mostly during competitions and rarely during recreational time - the wannabe swimmers annoyed me so much! Principally "blind" parents with children running around the pool and show off guys trying to get attention.
I was stunned to learn that in my apt complex the LG sits watching TV on his lap top while people swim. There is a pool and a hot tub under his watch while he's online with one of the headphones on - how considerate to keep one ear open just in case...
The protocol we follow in my country - for CPR, First Aid and LGing - is totally different from the protocols followed by US but I'm pretty sure that when you have 4 people working being 1 sitting on the high chair, 2 doing rounds and one sitting casually by the entrance someone has to be in charge of telling the kids to stop running on the wet ground.
When was the last update to the protocol you follow?

[Anonymous]

Good for you OP - but I think you should have said something to the parents. They may be thinking that their oldest children would watch the youngest. Or they may not be aware of the dangers (maybe their child never went for the pool before, maybe someone else always saves the kid and they have no idea).

As far as the lifeguard, I actually laughed when I saw a lifeguard at the baby pool when we went to the county pool the other day. But sure enough, the poor lifegaurd was whistling away - mainly at parents - for not watching their kids. But that was the first time I have seen a baby pool with a lifeguard. Even if there is one, they aren't babysitters. There are usually pretty clear rules about supervision of children.