Drowning inquiry urges life vests for kids at pools

An inquiry into the death of a seven-year-old boy who drowned in a swimming pool has resulted in several recommendations to improve safety at Edmonton’s public pool facilities, including that all kids under the age of eight who haven’t passed a swim test wear life-jackets.

“(The boy’s) death was entirely preventable had his caregiver stayed within arm’s reach of (him) and had pool staff paid closer attention to a child wearing a yellow wristband who was clearly without adult supervision in the main pool,” said a public fatality inquiry report released in September.

Provincial court Judge Renee Cochard recommended the City of Edmonton mandate that children under the age of eight wear highly visible wristbands on pool decks.

She also recommended they wear life-jackets at all times unless the child has passed a 25-metre swim test conducted by a lifeguard.

“Despite having a wristband, (the boy) was not asked by any of the lifeguards about his swimming ability, nor was the fact he was a young child with a wristband so clearly not being supervised noticed,” the report said.

In July 2012, the boy, who was in foster care, went to a pool at the O’Leary Fitness and Leisure Centre while under the supervision of a group home worker. After entering the main swimming pool, he was pulled out by lifeguards and rushed to hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

“From the point of entering the water until the time he’s pulled above the water surface was nine minutes and seven seconds,” the report said. The inquiry referenced video footage of the pool deck, noting that 82 people were present during the incident.

“He died alone in a City of Edmonton pool surrounded by people save (except) the person who was charged with his care,” the report said.

An investigation by the Alberta Children and Youth Services found the boy was inadequately supervised by the caregiver.

Boyle Street Residential Services, which operated the boy’s group home, devised a written policy following his death that included limits on how many children caregivers can supervise in a pool.

The City of Edmonton also conducted a review and made changes to the number of lifeguards required and the positions they should be in to best see people in a pool.

The O’Leary pool at 88 Street and 132 Avenue also added swimming ambassadors who help swimmers and pull children out of the pool if they’re without supervision.

Other recommendations included that a swimming policy implemented at the boy’s group home be expanded to all foster homes and that the provincial government fund swimming survival programs for all Grade 4 students.