The Redwoods Group

The Redwoods Group Insurance Program for YMCAs
Aquatic Alert 2004-02
Although the following incident does not involve a Redwoods insured YMCA, we want to impress upon you the role each of us plays in providing a safe environment.

Each year about 1500 young people drown in the U.S., over a third in guarded pools. As we all know, a drowning can occur nearly anywhere. Yet, the natural inclination is to believe that one will not happen in our own community, especially at our own YMCA. Awareness of the threat's reality is critical. Reinforcing proven prevention strategies is an essential element in protecting the kids in our programs. Both are the goals for our "Aquatic Alert" program. Each is a brief treatment of the topic, focussing on a real, recent, public event, gleaned from the media... reprinting the published article in its entirety (omitting names and identifying references to the YMCA) and providing a few important teaching points for you to share with your staff. As always, if you need additional guidance on this topic, please call us at 800-463-8546.

"AUTISTIC MAN IN POOL TRAGEDY"

MAJOR NORTHEAST CITY: July 14, 2004 - AN AUTISTIC MAN on a field trip with his group home died after being pulled from a [city] YMCA pool last night, police said. [Victim], 42, was discovered unconscious in the deep end of the indoor pool about 8:30 p.m. at the [name] Y, police said.

Two Special Citizens group home counselors and two YMCA lifeguards tried to save him from the 8 1/2-foot-deep water, but couldn't reach him in time, cops said. [Victim] was taken to [name] Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead at 8:50 p.m.

The city medical examiner's office will determine the cause of death, but cops said the man may have drowned.

Representatives from the group home in [location] told cops they believed [victim] was a competent swimmer.

YMCA spokeswoman [name] said group home residents have been swimming at the Y twice a week for the past eight to 10 years. The YMCA has certified lifeguards on duty whenever the 75-foot-long pool is open, she said.

There were 26 people in the pool at the time of the accident, about 10 of whom were from the home, she said.

"We are certainly feeling very sad . . . and we are sending our condolences to the man's family," [YMCA spokeswomen] said.

What we don't know:

Any details about the victim, e.g.,
his general health, specifics about any challenges, etc.
his swimming ability
the cause of his original distress in the pool
Any details about the pool and lifeguards, e.g
the pool's general rules and protocols
the activity or alertness of the lifeguards
whether two lifeguards were on duty or the second just happened to be present; if two were on duty, was it because of increased exposure or as normal protocol?

What we do know:

This was another special event...a field trip for residents of the victim's group home
Most drowning deaths in YMCAs over the last several years have involved special events
It is not just children who drown...
it can happen to anyone, especially the elderly or those with medical, physical, or other challenges
it often happens silently...if we are not watching carefully, it can go unnoticed
A victim who was "discovered unconscious" was, by definition, not observed in trouble by those who found him
If we don't see an individual in trouble it will impossible to "reach him in time" we may be able to resuscitate or revive him, but an aquatic emergency will have occurred

What we must do:

Lifeguards should know the swimming abilities of every individual who is in their pool.
Lifeguards should be aware of any challenges that may affect the safety of any person who is in their pool, and they should adjust their guarding accordingly.
When groups use our pools, their staff should be required to be actively watching their participants...they know the strengths and weaknesses of their participants far better than the lifeguard; this is especially true of groups that include children or adults with challenges
Lifeguards should maintain their safety vigilance...
Every portion of each guard's area of responsibility should come under scrutiny every 10 seconds... above water, under water, and on the pool bottom...carefully observed, not just a quick glance
No patron should be assumed impervious to harm

Please call us at 800-463-8546 to discuss this or any other risk management concern, or visit our web site at www.redwoodsgroup.com to learn more about YMCA risk management related issues.

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Risk Management services are provided by The Redwoods Group to assist the insured in fulfilling its responsibilities for the control of potential loss-producing situations involving their YMCA operations. The information contained is not intended as legal advice; it simply represents trends in the YMCA industry, related industries and/or law. Laws and suggested standards are under constant review by courts, states and trade groups. They can be vastly different in each jurisdiction. For legal advice relating to any subject addressed, YMCAs are advised to seek the services of a local personal attorney. The information is provided "AS IS" without warranty of any kind and The Redwoods Group expressly disclaims all warranties and conditions with regard to any information contained, including all implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose. The Redwoods Group assumes no liability of any kind for information and data contained or for any course of action you may take in reliance thereon.

released 07/30/04