Near drowning

[aibuprofile]

My daughter was taking part in a swim lesson with school last week. During this lesson she panicked in 2m deep water and the swim teacher tried to throw life saving aids to her but she was going under and could not grab them. The lifeguard sounded the alarm and dived in and pulled her out. She was ok.
But... I was not told about this until the end of the school day. When I was told it was in a very casual way and a brief version of events given. This version does NOT match those of several other children there or indeed my own daughters (who is very sensible and not dramatic).

I am angry that I was not at least called. I'm angry that when I phoned the school to discuss (took a few moments for it to sink in when I was told in person, by which time the teacher had walked off) I was fobbed off and told she did not nearly drown and that her head only went under water for a brief moment.

AIBU to be angry with the school for the lack of communication and would I be unreasonable to go over to the swimming pool and ask for their version of events?

[Sightlinesandsolutions]

@sparepantsandtoothbrush with respect, I think you're describing a best case scenario, not the reality here. None of us know what really happened, and the school/pool's handling of the incident has undermined the OPs confidence in their ability to care for her child safely and to respond appropriately. I think it's perfectly reasonable to raise any and all issues that may be relevant.

[ChildrenGrowingUpTooFast]

@Lorw you should read the other thread here with a parent complaining her non swimming children missing school swimming lessons.

I agree with you that most don't learn to swim from the school lessons. You have one instructor with 30 kids. Either you try to get them to swim and they have incidents like this. Or you leave the non swimmers in the shallow side and not let them swim. You literally can't win.

My DC1 did a term in year 5 and it was great for her because she got to practice swimming mid week. But they literally just swam lengths with no teaching.

[ChildrenGrowingUpTooFast]

@aibuprofile in private lessons, they have teachers in the pool for beginner lessons but they hold on to the child and swim with them. That only works if you have a very small class. The children take turn to swim and otherwise hold onto the side of the pool. You can't learn to swim when you can touch the floor of the pool. My kids have both learn in pools where they don't reach the bottom. I have no idea how they teach non swimmers in a big class. My DC1 told me the non swimmers in their lessons were left at the shallow side and not swim.

[CyclingIsNotOuting]

I’d be extremely angry too.
Apart from anything else, my child would probably want a cuddle from mum! It’s a traumatic event.
I think you should have been called and given the option of taking her home to recover.
A lifeguard having to jump into the water isn’t a minor event.

[viques]

@MrsScrubbithatescleaning

OP Definitely request a formal investigation. I'm appalled that the teacher thought it ok to have unconfident swimmers in the deeper water without an adult in there with them! What were they thinking??

*@viques*

Here in Ireland the swim teachers DO go into the water with the children.

My DS started swimming lessons in England and the teacher stayed poolside which I thought was ridiculous. I wasn't impressed by the style of teaching and general quality of the lessons at all and these were supposedly professional swimming instructors.

When we moved here, I enrolled him in lessons at the local pool and the contrast couldn't have been greater. All the teachers are in the water with the kids and for the last ten minutes of each session, they have 'play time' where they get the pool toys out and have a splash play together.

DS went from hating swimming to loving it.

This was a school swimming lesson. One instructor to 30 children all at different levels of ability. That is why the instructor doesn’t get in the pool. Try standing in a pool and counting heads.

[TheWoleb]

How did she end up in the deep end as a non-swimmer?

It happened once in our school. The kids were all asked who could swim and who couldn't. Everyone put their hand up to say they could swim, only one boy couldn't but he was too embarrassed to say that so he said he could swim.
The swim teacher decided that the very first thing they should all do was jump into the deep end. So they did. And this boy jumped, but of course he couldn't swim so he went under. The life guard went in.

After that, they changed the procedure. The children were no longer asked if they could swim; instead, parents have to fill put a form about about their child's swimming competency. And on the first lesson, the kids need to swim in the shallow end to show the swim teacher their ability. Really, all of that was common sense and should always have been the way but it took an embarrassed child pretending he could swim then almost drowning to bring about a couple of safety checks.

[Cissyandflora]

@thelastgoldeneagle

Posters talking about secondary drowning, you do realise lifeguards are first aid trained and would know all there was to know about that right?

In England, lifeguards have three days' training. To cover everything they will need to know - first aid, how to save peple, what to do if someone is in distress. A lot are sixth formers (here anyway). I wouldn't bank on them knowing 'all there is to know'.

Absolutely this. It’s very naive to assume lifeguards know ‘all there is to know’ about anything. I’ve done the training.

[saraclara]

I would be asking to talk to the lifeguard. They have less reason to cover up anything, because they were not delivering the lesson or involved with the school. They are far more likely to give you a clear picture of what happened. So contact the leisure centre directly.

Eight-year-old witnesses are not going to be reliable, to be honest. Her classmates can't give a clear indication of the time that passed, and are likely to have found the whole thing more dramatic than maybe it was.

But yes, in your place I would absolutely want to know what happened and why. I don't think the school is going to give you that clear picture.

[TwooThirty]

Maybe you already are but if not: I would make swimming lessons (outside of school) a priority so she’s not at so much risk in the water.

[saraclara]

A swimming teacher in the pool cannot see what's going on. They need to be on the side, higher up, to be able to see all their pupils. There would be far more risk to the children if the teacher was in with them. If there's a problem, the teacher can jump in, in seconds. And jump straight to the right place

[Lovemusic33]

I would be angry that a child who can not swim was in water out of her depth. Yes you should have been told. It probably seemed much more scary to dd than it actually was, it might be a good idea to teach her to float on her back if she gets into trouble (something I feel is important for every child to be taught before learning to swim).

Glad your dd is ok and I hope it doesn’t put her off learning to swim. I have a dd who is petrified of water due to a incident when she was tiny.

[Plumtree391]

@aibuprofile

She was pulled out and gasping for breath and had swallowed a lot of water.
She is 8.

Poor little love.

You should have been told earlier. Thank goodness for the life guard.

It's horrible when you panic in water, happened to me twice and I could swim quite well.

[Panda368]

former lifeguard here - its really unusual to actually HAVE to get in the pool and fetch someone out let alone a child who should have been under supervision.

It happened twice in the 2 years I worked at a pool both times when kids were not being properly supervised or were messing about on the side and fell in by accident. Is she normally a competent swimmer? If not - why was she at the deep end?

[savvy7]

School swimming lessons are not sufficient to learn how to swim - you should arrange some private lessons if you haven't done so already.

[Southernbellenot]

@aibuprofile

I was a swimming teacher for for over ten years, this does happen and its usually down to inexperienced teachers. No experienced teacher would put a child at risk in pool as it can go wrong really fast.

OP, I would enquire to see what actually happened at the pool as it might flag up to the swim centre which teacher needs more training or more supervision. And you will need to ask to speak to the swimming coordinator to find that information. The schools have a hands off approach.

How are can they swim? Was she doing doing widths or lengths? How many children were in the class? What are they going to implicate this doesn't happen again?

These are questions that need to be asked

[Southernbellenot]

Also all RLSS lifeguards ( its them that give the award) have to do monthly training in which you get tested on stuff every time. It is a short course but it is also continual training a time tests.

[HunkyPunk]

@saraclara

A swimming teacher in the pool cannot see what's going on. They need to be on the side, higher up, to be able to see all their pupils. There would be far more risk to the children if the teacher was in with them. If there's a problem, the teacher can jump in, in seconds. And jump straight to the right place

Or not….in this case.

[CounsellorTroi]

@savvy7

School swimming lessons are not sufficient to learn how to swim - you should arrange some private lessons if you haven't done so already.

Agree. I didn’t learn to swim at school. The lessons consisted of the teacher taking the competent swimmers to the deep end and leaving us non swimmers to mess about in the shallow end. I learned as an adult eventually.

[nanbread]

They shouldn't have put a non swimmer in deep water.

I'd be really fucked off.

[TooMuchPaper]

I'm sorry- taking the word of excitable 8 year olds and one scared 8 year old (your daughter) over the school and lifeguards, I probably wouldn't.

If you read the op's post again you will see that she has not yet spoken to the lifeguard.

[Muselyforbreakfast]

@thelastgoldeneagle

Posters talking about secondary drowning, you do realise lifeguards are first aid trained and would know all there was to know about that right?

In England, lifeguards have three days' training. To cover everything they will need to know - first aid, how to save peple, what to do if someone is in distress. A lot are sixth formers (here anyway). I wouldn't bank on them knowing 'all there is to know'.

Lifeguards have 6 days very intense training to qualify and then 3hrs training and testing every two months to keep their qualification.
That would be the least qualified lifeguard at the pool, who may be 16 yrs but would always be working with more experienced lifeguards and the shift manager would have years of experience.

OP I would ask the pool duty manager from the day what happened, and ask to see the incident report. I would also ask them what conversation they had with the school staff about informing you.

Also check if your daughter was being taught by a pool swim teacher or the school teacher.

It must have been very scary for her and I would take her swimming yourself a few times to get her confidence back if you are able to.

[Yogsgirl]

OP, why did you need to know at 10am? What exactly would you have done- school were taking care of her?

[Dartfordwarblerautumn]

@Saladovercrispsanyday

She didn’t almost drown
She panicked in the water during a swimming lesson and needed a life guard to get her safely to the side

Yes the school should have told you

But don’t go in there all guns blazing. Just ask to have an appointment with them urgently to discuss

How old is your child

If the life guard did not dive in she would have drowned. She is 8. Therefore she nearly drowned.🤦‍♀️

[YellowMonday]

This needs to be raised as a serious complaint.

Secondary drowning is a significant risk if water has been taken on. She needed to be very closely watched, and you should have been notified immediately and/or a medical review to check her lungs.

[Yogsgirl]

School swimming lessons do not have just one instructor to 30 children. There is a minimum adult ratio and they are split into ability groups around the pool, each group with an adult. Our school has 3 teachers for the class, plus two members of school staff and a lifeguard on duty.