Summer fun ‘bummer’ as pools ban the bomb

The fun police are on patrol in the Waikato, it seems, after the council banned bombing at all its swimming pools.

The move was made after a child was injured at Ngaruawahia Swimming Pool in December and now covers Genesis Energy Huntly Aquatic Centre and Centennial Pool in Tuakau.

But some are saying the ban is a leap too far.

Tuakau College holiday programme leader Paul Heta said it could just drive kids to unsupervised river spots.

‘‘As a young person growing up, in this pool we had no issue with it. No one ever got hurt.

‘‘Just let kids be kids – let them be kids in the pool. You’ve got lifeguards here. How much safer is it doing it here than down at the wharf when there’s nobody there to look after them?’’

Schoolboys Rameka Preston and Sola Vahai, are keen bombers and don’t like the ban.

‘‘They could have a time when people can bomb and move people back and have ropes to fence off spots to separate people swimming and people bombing,’’ Rameka said.

‘‘All us boys like bombing and some girls – it’s a bummer that we can’t,’’ Sola said.

Waikato District Council spokesman Tim Harty said the boy injured in December ended up in hospital and another child had been injured in November.

Last year, a 16-year-old died after another young jumper landed on top of him during a jumping session off the Raglan footbridge.

Harty said the decision to ban bombing was made in the interests of public safety and based on the fact the council’s pools have maximum depths of 1.5 metres.

Lifeguards are now on the look-out for anyone ‘‘specifically leaping into the pool to create an enormous splash’’, he said, although jumping in is still fine.

‘‘There have been no incidents from people jumping into pools but the incident in December involved bombing, so we have put the ban in place to mitigate the risk of future injuries.’’

Harty said if people were caught bombing, they would be warned and any repeat offenders could be asked to leave.