Safety a priority in swim season
Thursday, May 15, 2008
With the Lou Eves outdoor pool in Mason opening Memorial Day weekend, safety is at the top of priorities for city of Mason's employees.
Chris Stovall, a Mason dad recently expressed concern about what he viewed as lax lifeguarding at the Mason Community Center pool.
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In the wake of tragic death of Bobby Simpson, a 4-year-old who was found floating in the pool about a month ago, and later died, Stoval said
life guards ought to be extra vigilant.
"I would think they would be more diligent given what just happened," he told members of the Community Center Committee. "It incenses me that we had a tragic accident — I know it's not the lifeguards fault, and it is mainly the parent's responsibility to watch their children — but the guards need to be looking and watching constantly."
Stovall said his daughter Lydia was talking with a lifeguard while swimming at the pool on May 4, and the lifeguard asked her to see if something in the pool was feces.
City Manager Eric Hansen
said they interviewed the guards on duty that day
and there were no "fecal
incidents" but Band Aids where found on two separate occasions.
Stovall said although his daughter is only 6, he doesn't believe she would pulled the word "poop" out of thin air.
"My daughter had a different story, and I tend to believe her," he said. "What I think happened was the lifeguard saw something in the pool and asked her to get it. And maybe she thought she knew it was a toy, but said if it's poop, don't touch it. She wouldn't have made that part up."
That aside, Stovall said he has noticed a marked improvement in the attitudes and attentiveness of the guards at the pool since he complained.
Hansen said he has received a half dozen calls about the pool employees. He said city officials continue to review their policies and procedures, but it appears everyone "did everything right" in the
Simpson incident.
Parks & Recreation Director Michael Hecker said some of the same guards who work at the community center pool also work at Lou Eves pool but the city also hires seasonal employees.
These guards will be trained according to the American Red Cross standards and everyone is getting a refresher on the importance of being alert and watchful.
"We are stressing due diligence," Hecker said.
Contact this reporter at (513) 696-4525 or dcallahan@coxohio.com.
