Warning about resort pools

[party_of_five]

We just returned from another terrific Disney vacation. I'm already starting to plan my next trip in June. LOL!!

I did want to pass on a warning though about the resort swimming pools specificly POR. While my family was swimming at one of the quiet pools at POR, my 6 year old daughter was moving herself around the pool by hanging on to the edge. She couldn't reach so she was using the ledge to hold herself up. I was within arms reach of her with my 4 year old daughter who was playing on the steps. I heard my 6 year old cry out to me in a panic. I rushed over to her and pulled her up on the wall to findout what was wrong. She said "my leg was stuck to the wall." I reached my hand down to find the hole, like the ones that shoot the water out, had tremedously strong suction. I was able to pull my hand back away from the wall but it was very strong suction. There were other families in the pool so I stayed close by the hole until the lifegaurd riding through on the bike came back through. When I told him what happened he said " Oh yeah, the same thing happened at the main pool the other day, Someone forgot to turn the vacuum off" He immediately shut it off. He came back to see if my daughter was ok and she was. Then a mom came up with her daughter who was about 6 to show the lifegaurd that the same thing happened to her daughter. Her daughter had a purple circle bruise on her stomach from that vacuum being left on. After thinking about how dangerous the situation could potentialy be, I called the front desk to let the manager know what happened. She said she would bring it to the recreation managers attention immediately. My 4 year old daughter has hair to her lower back and is not a strong swimmer. If her hair had gotten sucked up into that vacuum she would not have been able to get away from it on her own.
I guess it is a warning for any pool, not just at Disney. I know I will check any pool very carefully now before allowing my kids to play in it.

 

[abaldacci]

so sorry I bet that was scary. glad you called the man. on duty hadn't even thought of that happening.

 

[disneydreamer1970]

Wow...that is scary.

Trish

 

[LoriZH]

OMGoodness! Lucky her hair didn't get caught the poor thing. Glad to hear you had a fabulous vacation though!

 

[sandybobandy]

Ugh. While I'm so glad she's doing alright, this story sounds all too familiar. This past summer here in Minneapolis a similar thing happened to a little girl in a community pool. I won't go into the details, but I'm just glad you got to your little sweetie in time!

 

[NeverlandPixie]

I am so glad that you caught that in time and were able to inform someone. Not only have similar (and far more serious) incidents happened over the summer in other places (like Minneapolis), but there was a boy who actually died in Playa del Carmen, too. Glad it was taken care of and daughters are safe. Gives new meaning to the within arms' reach rule.

 

[HappyDznyCamper]

I'm glad your DD is ok, and VERY happy you alerted people to the problem, if only everyone stayed so close to their kids and reported problems to mgmt as soon as possible.

 

[bab31]

Thank you for posting this- A real service to this community- I hope managment followed up sternly with staff

 

[elastigirlfan]

Oh my gosh - that is so scary. I'm so glad your little girl is ok.

 

[Disneyof3]

THANKS so much for posting this. I'm glad your daughter is okay. We stay at POR and will be using it for the first in March and my daughter does have long hair. My youngest also when not wearing his lifejacket walks around the edge of the pool too. I will definately keep a eye open for this. I will likely go check the holes before my kids go in now.

Thanks again

 

[LaurinG]

As a former resort lifeguard at the WL I never remember the vacuum beginning left on, but it did happen at Fort Wilderness once...I was opening the pool the next morning and the pool had emptied down to the vacuum line...it sucked! (in more ways than one.)

Those vacuum suction things are a general pool safety issue, it's not just a disney thing.

 

[micmacmissy]

This is extremely dangerous. If I were you, I would put this in writing to Disney. There was a 20/20 episode about pool vacuums and drains--children can be caught in them and drown, and can even be disemboweled by them if they sit on them. Not to sound alarmist or disgusting, but children have died this way.

Don't take it lightly--a letter to management with the date and time noted is in order. It is lucky no one was hurt.

 

[yrdlyprincess]

Thank you so much for posting this, for most times I believe that the vacuum suction is on the bottom & the is how kids are drowning. I can't believe that now they are on the sides too. When we go down I am going to make sure to ask EVERY TIME we go to the pools! My DD has really long hair also (makes me very scaried about it being caught) she isn't a strong swiimer & DS3 doens't know how to swim. Thank you for bringing that to everyones attention! Thank goodness your daughter & the other girl didn't get hurt.

 

[Lilolvr]

We just returned from another terrific Disney vacation. I'm already starting to plan my next trip in June. LOL!!

I did want to pass on a warning though about the resort swimming pools specificly POR. While my family was swimming at one of the quiet pools at POR, my 6 year old daughter was moving herself around the pool by hanging on to the edge. She couldn't reach so she was using the ledge to hold herself up. I was within arms reach of her with my 4 year old daughter who was playing on the steps. I heard my 6 year old cry out to me in a panic. I rushed over to her and pulled her up on the wall to findout what was wrong. She said "my leg was stuck to the wall." I reached my hand down to find the hole, like the ones that shoot the water out, had tremedously strong suction. I was able to pull my hand back away from the wall but it was very strong suction. There were other families in the pool so I stayed close by the hole until the lifegaurd riding through on the bike came back through. When I told him what happened he said " Oh yeah, the same thing happened at the main pool the other day, Someone forgot to turn the vacuum off" He immediately shut it off. He came back to see if my daughter was ok and she was. Then a mom came up with her daughter who was about 6 to show the lifegaurd that the same thing happened to her daughter. Her daughter had a purple circle bruise on her stomach from that vacuum being left on. After thinking about how dangerous the situation could potentialy be, I called the front desk to let the manager know what happened. She said she would bring it to the recreation managers attention immediately. My 4 year old daughter has hair to her lower back and is not a strong swimmer. If her hair had gotten sucked up into that vacuum she would not have been able to get away from it on her own.
I guess it is a warning for any pool, not just at Disney. I know I will check any pool very carefully now before allowing my kids to play in it.

Wow, that's could be dangerous and at least a bit painful.

 

[oliviansmom17]

Omg...disemboweled! I never thought of that but it makes perfect, (and absolutely terrifying) sense! Thank goodness you alerted staff-
My children saw a news report about the drains and are very uncomfortable swimming in a pool that has one unless they know it's turned off. I will definitely be checking the situation out before my children get near one at the Poly, and anywhere else, for that matter.
Thanks for the heads up!

 

[BobNoxious]

Omg...disemboweled!

Thats what happened to the girl in Minneapolis this year. Be careful.

 

[oliviansmom17]

I read the article...that is devastating. Her life will never be the same. I will most DEFINITELY be on alert...

 

[TheLastPrincess]

This is extremely dangerous. If I were you, I would put this in writing to Disney. There was a 20/20 episode about pool vacuums and drains--children can be caught in them and drown, and can even be disemboweled by them if they sit on them. Not to sound alarmist or disgusting, but children have died this way.

Don't take it lightly--a letter to management with the date and time noted is in order. It is lucky no one was hurt.

I remember this. I was scared of swimming pools after seeing that (it was some years ago). Horrible!!!

 

[fishermouse]

After the 20/20 episode I thought safety covers were supposed to be installed in all public pools. Maybe it only covers new construction, seems to me it should be a mandatory retrofit to every pool. All that is needed is a raised cover that prevents the opening from being completly covered causing a vacum

 

[PrincessBelle39]

Wow...that is scary.

Trish

These were the exact words I said to myself when I read the first post in this thread.