Lack of Sufficient Lifeguards on Duty Leads to the Drowning of a Three-Year-Old Boy
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The dog days of summer have most families yearning for a backyard pool or a great summer vacation by the water. Amusement parks and water parks are popular destinations for families that are seeking quality time with their loved ones. The parks are supposed to provide a safe atmosphere for all to enjoy. The most recent drowning at the largest indoor water park in the United States proves that not all precautions have been taken to ensure the safety of those within these parks.
A three-year-old Michigan boy, Hassan Itani, died at Kalahari Resorts in Sandusky, Ohio on Sunday afternoon. He was found face down in a children’s pool that was estimated to be between 3-4 feet deep. He was pronounced dead at a local hospital shortly after he was pulled from the water. The mother claimed that she lost sight of her son for only a few moments before he was found. She verified that he did not know how to swim.
Although lifeguards were on duty at the time of the accident, none could say that they knew the toddler was in any distress prior to his drowning. Unfortunately for Kalahari Resorts, a 173,000 square foot recreation facility, this is not its first reported problem. The resort faced disciplinary actions by the state at least five times since it opened in 2005.
As recent as last May the inspectors were told that the park had fewer lifeguards than what should be required. It was also reported that “many rides were operated in a careless and unsafe manner.” For the full story on the drowning at Kalahari, please click on the following link: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/us_world/2009/08/03/2009-08-03_boy_3_drowns_at_kalahari_resorts_water_park.html.
This is certainly not the first fatality of 2009 in water parks throughout the United States. One other publicized incident occurred at the Wet ‘N’ Wild Waterworld in Texas. A 14-year-old boy, Eric Saldana, was found dead at the bottom of a swimming pool. He was visiting the water park on a field trip, but did not know how to swim. The boy was unable to be revived at a local hospital.
Accidents occurring at amusement parks are fairly common. Many of the injuries sustained are serious, if not fatal. For a detailed list of past accidents, as well as an accruing list of accidents in 2009, consult http://www.rideaccidents.com/ or
http://www.amusementsafety.org/.
It is easy to see that the two similarities in both of these tragedies are the lack of swimming knowledge and the understaffing at water parks. Parents should take the time to teach their children the basics of swimming at a very young age. A few hours of water instruction every week could end up saving lives down the road.
Furthermore, states need to ensure that amusement parks and water parks are complying with their recommendations. It’s pointless for safety inspections to be performed if the inspectors do not return to make certain that the appropriate changes have been made. A fine or a list of repairs is not sufficient. Amusement parks have a duty to their customers to make every attempt to prevent a tragedy from occurring. A young boy may be alive today had Kalahari Resorts complied with inspectors in the past.