Better life guards at WDW pools or sign that says you must be able to swim to enter?

[Colleen27]

I, for one, hope we don't see widespread rule changes in response to this tragedy. It is terribly sad but from what we know it sounds like one of those inexplicable freak things in life - the child's parents were present, he knew how to swim, he was in water that probably wasn't over his head, and still something went wrong. It would be a shame for this incident to mean an end to the "swim at your own risk" policy that most of the Disney pools employ.

 

[davedmaine]

We don't know the full story yet. Could be that we need to train parents better and tell them to watch their kids while at the pool.

 

[Colleen27]

Do the Pop pools say 'No Diving" in the pavement all around the pool edge?
Or is it just on a sign ?

Out of curiosity, I flipped through my photos of various Disney pools through the years. I can tell you the words "no diving" or the ø symbol over a picture of a diver is stamped onto the pavement at the edges of the all three pools at Pop, as well as the baseball pool at ASSp and the theme pool at CSR. I'd be willing to bet it is clearly posted around the edges of all Disney's pools.

 

[si-am]

I think a "if you can't swim, don't go in water above your head" sign would be about as useful as the instructions on my hair dryer that say not to use it in the shower.

I mean, really.

 

[wilkeliza]

Lifeguards that work for Disney go through a pretty intensive physical test before being allowed to work. Also the lifeguards weren't even on duty so they are in no way at fault. I'm sure every lifeguard who works for Disney is wishing they were at that pool on that day so they could have prevented this incident from happening.

Also for anyone who thinks you and your kids are safe in the water simply because the pool is only x feet deep and I'm x feet tall you are living by a false sense of security. Anything can happen even with a no diving rule at your family pool or a public pool with no life guard. Leg cramps can make someone drown and can come on with no warning no matter what you do. Also as someone posted in another thread someone who is truly drowning and not just in aquatic distress may not be able to use their legs as their body is too focused on breathing so it doesn't always allow them to respond correctly especially if water has already gotten into the lungs.

I'll never forget in my CPR and baby first aid training how much they remind you anyone can drown in just 1" of water and that is why you should know CPR and pool safety. Just because he was 13 and in 4 ft of water doesn't mean he was necessarily breaking the rules or horse playing. I wasn't there so I don't know if he dove in and hit his head, was simply having fun and slipped, had a seizure or hundreds of other things that could have gone wrong.

I can't believe how many people have quickly jumped to blame this 13 year old and his family for this horrible horrible accident that resulted in him loosing his life.

 

[geraghty]

You never know what can happen. My heart too, goes out to this family. Does anyone know where you can read this story?

 

[Itinkso]

You never know what can happen. My heart too, goes out to this family. Does anyone know where you can read this story?

http://www.clickorlando.com/news/13...ies/-/1637132/19276918/-/mp756tz/-/index.html

 

[Missytara]

I am an architect and a construction manager.

So often, we say people tend to make a people problem a building problem.

You post a sign that says no lifeguards after 9:00 pm. A person drowns and people say they should have a bigger sign and more lifeguards.

Ultimately the problem is someone did not follow the rules. You can make fences higher and signs bigger and someone will climb the fence and ignore the sign.

 

[danceintherain]

I am an architect and a construction manager.

So often, we say people tend to make a people problem a building problem.

You post a sign that says no lifeguards after 9:00 pm. A person drowns and people say they should have a bigger sign and more lifeguards.

Ultimately the problem is someone did not follow the rules. You can make fences higher and signs bigger and someone will climb the fence and ignore the sign.

Very true. It's also possible for accidents to happen when everyone is following the rules.
Negligence doesn't make situations like this any less painful, and allotting blame usually makes situations more painful.

I feel awful for him and his family.

 

[fla4fun]

Very true. It's also possible for accidents to happen when everyone is following the rules.
Negligence doesn't make situations like this any less painful, and allotting blame usually makes situations more painful.

I feel awful for him and his family.

I think it's a human reaction to try to assign blame when something like this happens to help create the illusion that it won't happen to you. But it certainly can.

IF he did dive into the pool, he did break the rules - that is true. Kids do that - which is why parents have such a hard job to do. Kids don't have the ability to see the consequences of their actions the way adults do (well, most adults anyway). Kids break rules all the time, and most of the time, nothing happens. I'm sure he didn't intend to even get hurt, let alone anything else. He was just having a fun day at the pool on vacation.

Disney is the only hotel I've traveled to in all my years of traveling that has lifeguards on duty at their pools. I've stayed at a LOT of hotels, and they have all been "swim at your own risk". I don't really think it is practical for Disney to extend the hours of the lifeguards, and I would hope that they continue to make the pools available for swimming when the guards are off duty. You have to weigh the risk, and look at the history of similar incidents, and then decide if what you are doing is adequate. I think what they are doing is fine.

No matter what you do or where you go, there is always a risk of something happening to you. Just think of the poor man swallowed by the sinkhole a couple weeks ago. All he did was go to sleep in his own bed in his own house, and poof - he was gone.

I feel bad for the family and for the other guests who were in the area at the time. I was really hoping he would pull through, and was very sad to hear he had not.

 

[ElizabethG]

I think it's a human reaction to try to assign blame when something like this happens to help create the illusion that it won't happen to you. But it certainly can.

This is so true! We don't know that anyone was breaking rules. Even if he did, it was still an accident. I did plenty of things in my youth that, thinking back on, I'm lucky to be alive. This kid wasn't so lucky.

 

[WDWCPALUM03]

All lifeguards on Disneys property go through extensive training and certifications. They also go through constant evaluations that they never know will happen. I don't think training affected anything in this case but you never have to worry about the lifeguards there not being properly trained.


Posted from DISboards.com App for Android

 

[RedfromNL]

I think a "if you can't swim, don't go in water above your head" sign would be about as useful as the instructions on my hair dryer that say not to use it in the shower.

I mean, really.

Or don't dry your pet in the microwave
or don't try to fly with a superman-cape.....

Though to get back on track this ppears one of those rare things: a true accident. Which just sometimes ahppens.

Not everything can be solved by making more rules or putting up more signs or blaming someone..

 

[nhmommy]

You're right. I'm usually the one keeping a very close eye on the grandkids any time they are in the pool even tho they can all swim like a fish. Maybe there should be a night shift of life guards. There is usually always someone in the pool late at night.

It always surprises me to see this statement. There are an inconceivable number of backyard pools that have no lifeguards I have one at my home so if I am responsible enough to watch my own children in the pool at my home without a life guard why should Disney be required to supply one at night or not allow people to swim at night? Sometimes things happen and if we react with policy changes every time something did there would be no freedom at all.

 

[maxiesmom]

Not everything can be solved by making more rules or putting up more signs or blaming someone..

Agreed. A knee-jerk reaction of having more lifeguards or roping off the pools won't stop accidents from happening. People would still find a way to swim, even if Disney gated all pools and chained them closed at night.

What happened was a horrible accident, but we all have to realize that we cannot prevent all accidents from happening. The boy was swimming with his family, it was as if he was unattended. It is possible too he would have drowned had lifeguards been present.

 

[goofy4tink]

The WDW lifeguards are extremely well trained. They do a very good job. I would imagine that Disney has come to the conclusion that it just isn't cost effective to put life guards at the pools all day/night. Why? You need about 3-4 life guards per pool. They have to change stations every so often. So, now you have 3-4 CMs out there, working, when there may very well be no one in the pool. There just isn't that great a need for staffing after a certain time.
There is signage that states when life guards go off duty. It is very clear. There is also plenty of signage that states no diving...it is all over the placed in the form of actual signs as well as on the concrete pool surround.
And not going into water over your head if you can't swim?? Seriously?? Does anyone really think that we need a sign stating not to do that?? That is just common sense.
And, it is about 5' deep in the center of the Hippy Dippy Pool. I know...I stand there and the water comes up to about my chin. I'm 5'8''.

I'm sure (at least as sure as I can be in this kind of situation) that this was just an awful accident. I'm not going to say whether or not the young man was jumping or diving off the edge of the pool....I don't know that. But I'm going to assume that at his age he could read...as could his family. So, there is little to no doubt that the 'rules' were out there and known about. Whether or not the boy, or his family, chose to follow those rules? No idea.
But it is still an awful thing to have happen. This poor family....they will have to live with this for a very long time, actually, forever. And those that witnessed it? I can't imagine the things they are going to see in their minds for a long time.

 

[Luv2trav]

I've never seen better life guards than what I have seen at WDW. This was a tragic accident and I don't think staffing life guards 24/7 is neccessary.

 

[keishashadow]

Or don't dry your pet in the microwave
or don't try to fly with a superman-cape.....

Though to get back on track this ppears one of those rare things: a true accident. Which just sometimes ahppens.

Not everything can be solved by making more rules or putting up more signs or blaming someone..

not a lawyer but having the signs in place likely takes some of the burden off the hotel

It always surprises me to see this statement. There are an inconceivable number of backyard pools that have no lifeguards I have one at my home so if I am responsible enough to watch my own children in the pool at my home without a life guard why should Disney be required to supply one at night or not allow people to swim at night? Sometimes things happen and if we react with policy changes every time something did there would be no freedom at all.

i have a pool too and a Realtor, they are termed an attractive nuisance in most communities and the homeowner is charged with obeying the local zoning ordinaces to protect the neighborhood 'from' the pool. Usually locking retractable steps, a 5 ft fence with locking gates and sometimes a pool alarm needs to be installed on a gate if it's part of a deck system.

fyi, no matter how strong a swimmer, a person can techinically drown in a tablespoon of water depending on the circumstances. That said, i have always been impressed with the dilligence of the disney lifeguards.

 

[Tonka's Skipper]

So true - they only swim with some friends in our pool. I do come out and check on them sometimes - but our pool is 5 foot high, above ground. All swimmers are tall enough to stand up in the pool with their heads above water.
Plus we have a No Diving rule.

I feel bad for the family - maybe the pool should be roped off when no life guard is around.The Dolphin/Swan do not let anyone swim in the Grotto pool until the life guard arrives at his/her post.

I certianty hope not!

This is indeed a very sad event and our family prayers go out to the family.

However it is also a very very very rare incident, and thousands of families and people enjoy swimming without a lifeguard. and never have a problem.

There is no reason to deny others who are aware there are no gaurds and still want to enjoy the pools.


AKK

 

[Tonka's Skipper]

Per DIS..
http://www.wdwinfo.com/news/General..._near-drowning_at_Walt_Disney_World_hotel.htm

13 year old boy in Value resort almost drowns.
My heart and prayers go out to the family and I hope he survives and takes some swimming lessons.

Do you think WDW needs to train the life guards better?

Do you think the sign by the pool should add, "if you can not swim, do not go into water above your head" ?

How deep are the pools in a Value (Pop) resort ?
Maybe 5 feet at the maximum area.
How tall is a 13 year old boy ?
Most likely at least 5 feet.

I would think a 13 year old boy at least knows how to tread water and do the doggy paddle.

My DS & DD started swim lessons at age 6.
They are not Olympic swimmers, but they at least could swim 100 yards, float on their back s, tread water, do the crawl and breast stroke.

Rereading the title, I feel it was poorly written and implies that the lifeguards were in some way at fault, when in fact they were not even on duty.

Maybe a rewording of the title is in order?

AKK


AKK