Drowning at POP Century

[Sammie]

This is a horrible, horrible situation, every parent's worst nightmare.

It was a accident, the young man did not intend to get hurt.

But lessons can always be learned. I was a life guard and water safety instructor and pools are dangerous. It only takes inches to drown.

There is absolutely no blame to be put on Disney. It is swim at "your own risk" when lifeguards are not there, just as it is at most all hotels that don't even have lifeguards at all. It would be so expensive to have guards there all the time, so the solution would be to make room rates higher or close pools completely when no guard is there.

Parents and individuals have to assume that risk.

As a parent, you can teach your child that pools are dangerous. That you don't run, you don't dive, and you don't rough house and you have a buddy system.

Drowning victims make no noise: This is a great article that everyone especially parents need to read. http://mariovittone.com/2010/05/154/

And out of respect and memory of this young man, learn something from this, and do not ever send a small child to a pool without a parent. The things I have seen at Disney pools make me shudder.

Prayers for all of us family.

 

[minnie mum]

I hope that if any good can come out of this horrible tragedy, that maybe Disney will revisit its policies regarding having unattended pools. As good as parents can be about watching their children, as has been mentioned many times in this thread, ANYONE can drown without it looking like a movie drowning. Paid professionals should always be there.

First of all, my heart goes out to the family of the young boy. I can't imagine the agony that they are going through right now.

I haven't been able to wrap my brain around all of the speculation on the cause of this drowning, and the rash casting of blame when very, very little information has yet come out as to the actual chain of events that occured.

As to remedial action or revisiting of policies by Disney- I doubt that anything would hapen until after the inquest is completed. And even then I really hope that nothing is changed. Disney seems pretty clearly not at fault according to the few facts that we have actually read so far. On duty life guards 24/7 seems like a knee jerk reaction IMO, and highly unlikely given the expense that this would incur (which would be passed on in the form of higher room rates). Disney would be more likely to fence off all of their pools and padlock them when life guards weren't present. And that, IMO would be terrible.

I'm not aware of any other hotel or resort anywhere that has round the clock life guards at their pools and beaches. When no lifeguard is present, people have to accept personal responsibility for their actions, knowing the risks involved. I hope this terrible event puts to rest once and for all the argument by some parents that their children should be allowed to go to the pools without parental supervision.

 

[chloelovesdisney]

I feel so bad for his parents and brother, I can't imagine being at Disney on vacation and having something so horrible happen.

 

[BiancaBernard&Penny]

Considering that it sounds like he was pulled from the pool ASAP, and he received timely CPR, I wonder if lifeguards would have made a difference. Sometimes, sadly, tragedy happens. No matter what.

To those in the family, my heart goes out to you. To those who witnessed the tragedy, my heart goes out to you. To those remembering times you've rescued your own or other kids, my heart goes out to you. And my heart goes to all of us who read this and tremble as we try to understand unfathomable tragedy in the most magical place on earth.

I'm not going to ever excuse true rudeness or insensitivity but I do want you to know this about your fellow DISers- we're all upset when something happens to Disney Family. We feel this happened in our home. We don't want to point fingers or make anyone feel guilty, but, still, we DO want to cast blame...just because we want there to BE something to blame. We "want" to hear that someone was negligent, someone was naughty, someone caused it. Because the alternative- the reality that tragedy is out there and can strike anyone for no known reason, to realize that good kids, of good parents, can die in good places, by just doing the same things OUR children do... It's just too much to bear. It's much too scary.

Just my 2 cents- as a mom, a nurse, a been-there-done-that teacher of advanced pediatric resuscitation, and a human who has dealt with critical ill children and their loved ones...did I mention mom... {cry}

 

[dreamcruiser]

Very well said.

 

[LauraJean]

so very sad

 

[nelsonkg]

@Bianca you put in to words exactly what I have been thinking. We all want to feel safe and feel that this could never happen to us. It is a natural reaction to search for answers. I am a nurse's as well and I see it all the time when bad things happen to good people. Hug your children tonight and be grateful. Thoughts and prayers for the family.

 

[smidgy]

Considering that it sounds like he was pulled from the pool ASAP, and he received timely CPR, I wonder if lifeguards would have made a difference. Sometimes, sadly, tragedy happens. No matter what.

To those in the family, my heart goes out to you. To those who witnessed the tragedy, my heart goes out to you. To those remembering times you've rescued your own or other kids, my heart goes out to you. And my heart goes to all of us who read this and tremble as we try to understand unfathomable tragedy in the most magical place on earth.

I'm not going to ever excuse true rudeness or insensitivity but I do want you to know this about your fellow DISers- we're all upset when something happens to Disney Family. We feel this happened in our home. We don't want to point fingers or make anyone feel guilty, but, still, we DO want to cast blame...just because we want there to BE something to blame. We "want" to hear that someone was negligent, someone was naughty, someone caused it. Because the alternative- the reality that tragedy is out there and can strike anyone for no known reason, to realize that good kids, of good parents, can die in good places, by just doing the same things OUR children do... It's just too much to bear. It's much too scary.

Just my 2 cents- as a mom, a nurse, a been-there-done-that teacher of advanced pediatric resuscitation, and a human who has dealt with critical ill children and their loved ones...did I mention mom... {cry}

how very well said.

 

[huhwhat]

So sad for this family !!!






After spending time at Aulani I noticed many children ages 3 and up left unsupervised in the pools. Though lifeguards were on duty the parents decided to take leave of their responsibilities.The worst was when a approx 2 year old came floating by (wearing swimmies) screaming "daddy, daddy !!" . I escorted him to the next exit and left him with a lifeguard. Please always supervise your children around water, especially when guards are off duty.

 

[momofkids]

Heartbreaking.

 

[BiancaBernard&Penny]

So sad for this family !!!

After spending time at Aulani I noticed many children ages 3 and up left unsupervised in the pools. Though lifeguards were on duty the parents decided to take leave of their responsibilities.The worst was when a approx 2 year old came floating by (wearing swimmies) screaming "daddy, daddy !!" . I escorted him to the next exit and left him with a lifeguard. Please always supervise your children around water, especially when guards are off duty.

That is sad. Maybe it's because I couldn't care less about a tan (but I do love a poolside book!) but isn't the fun of vacation getting to watch your children get so excited? Family time? I was in the pool almost all the time in Disney. At home, the pool is chilly to me, so now that DD is pretty good in the water, I try not to go in too far. She swims with DH, bigger girls that i trust, or where she can stand and I sit on the mommy steps and read something that's not engrossing. I never mind a splashed page if it means I know she's close (to supervise and enjoy).

 

[jillmc40]

I was just at akl and some young teen boys had their two yo brother. They were playing with him and it looked so cute. Then they sent him down the slide....5 or 6 trips later one of them forgot to catch him at the bottom and the life guard has to jump in. He was fine but it was scary. My heart breaks for this family and the other ton of families that this happens to every year I'm so sad for them...

 

[thornton0511]

It would be awesome if we didn't blame a dead child.

Agreed

 

[spiceycat]

thank you - did not realize that drownng was so silent.

sorry the child or teen had to die.

know also understand Disney new policy of less water in the pools.

 

[Callie]

I feel so awful. Prayers to his family.
I feel something else had to have happened, and this wasn't just a straight drowning (like a child falling into a deep end, etc).

Also, to those wondering where the parents were. At 13, its not shocking for kids to be swimming alone. Heck, here, there are 15 y.o life guards. My mom would let us go to the pool at age 8 or 9. But we were competitive swimmers.

 

[tmanaster]

Heartbreaking story and every parents' nightmare.

 

[mjperry]

This is so sad, prayers for the family are what's needed. .

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

 

[DizzDoll]

Truly a nightmare of unimaginable proportions. Prayers and love are sent to them in abundance. God, my heart aches.

 

[mla1977]

This is incredibly sad. I became a certified lifeguard when I was 16 (only a few years older than the young man) and a certified swim instructor at 17. It was challenging but worth the experience I gained. Even for all the training, sometimes there is nothing you can do. I hope the family can find some strength in this difficult time.

 

[mamamary]

So sad.