Assaulted in the Swimming Pool - Worth Reporting?

[RedEcho]

Name changed in case identifying.

Today I was at my local pool, which is always very quiet around this time of year. There is always one lane up, the pool was empty apart from one man swimming very slow breastroke up the middle of the lane. I headed for the lane, he saw me and so I started swimming up one side to go in the usual clockwise direction that is standard in lanes. I do a reasonably quick, efficient front crawl. The third time of doing this, he sort of paused as I passed him on the other side (I could see him under the water) and then I felt a pressure on my left shoulder and he pushed me down under the water.

I had a couple of moments of panic where you can't breathe and then he must have removed his hand and I bobbed up. Then he started shouting at me, I don't even know what. I told him to leave me alone. The lifeguard did nothing. I resumed swimming and tried not to make a fuss. He seemed to disappear after that.

At one point in my swim, I stopped to get my pull bouy at the end of the lane and he must have been in the showers opposite because the same man walked to the front of the lane and started shouting at me again. Something to do with swimming that he seemed to take great objection to and he asked me what I thought I was doing. I called the lifeguard over and he was rather blase and claimed that we had swam into each other. We had not. I actually cried out in shock quite loudly when I surfaced and the lifeguard admitted hearing this. The man deliberately assaulted me by putting his hand on my shoulder and pushing me under, and there had been plenty of room to pass. I told the man, repeatedly to leave me alone and said that I was here to swim. I had to shout at him 5 times to leave me alone while the lifeguard did nothing. Eventually he moved away.

Once I'd finished swimming I spoke to the lifeguard and asked him what he had seen/heard. He again claimed that we had swam into each other and was prevaricative when I asked why he hadn't told the man to leave me alone and why he didn't seem to understand what that meant. I realised I was getting nowhere with him as he was probably sticking up for the other man and left.

I think what happened is that the man in the lane expected me to acknowledge him, chat to him a bit or something (I really feel uncomfortable talking to strangers in pools wearing just a swimsuit) and when I ignored him and just got on with swimming, he decided to do something to draw my attention to him, like a "she's not getting away with me ignoring me".

I'm absolutely fuming though. You feel so vulnerable when you're in a swimsuit in an almost empty pool and it was a proper assault. I mean I'm not injured, but it was horrible. I won't use that pool again, I've heard of other people having similar troubles there and I'll use a different one further away, but is there any point at all in reporting this to the police? The lifeguard is obviously going to be of little or no help and the man is only going to claim I swam into him or some other made up story.

Report

He sounds a lot like ‘butterfly bastard’ at my old gym. Would create merry hell, dunk women who had been lane swimming before he got in under the guise of his chosen stroke, and yell at everyone.

We complained and when it wasn’t dealt with we left.

Please stop victim-blaming, Dixiechickonhols.

Do you seriously believe If you’d really thought he’d tried to drown you you wouldn’t have carried on and lost sight of him? He pushed OP's head under water and held her there. Do you expect her to get into a debate or argument with a man who had already attacked her?

Holding someone's head underwater is not a way of trying to stop you or get your attention. Do you usually punch someone in the face to get their attention?

Report without a doubt. It sounds like you were following swimming pool etiquette (not that anyone deserves to be assaulted), but what if he had done the same to a much less experienced swimmer?

Stop. Just stop with this fucking shit.

Absolutely sick of seeing threads in this place from women who have been assaulted and posters who are avid to put the blame everywhere else but on the MEN responsible. What the hell is the matter with these people?

It's very clear that shouting at someone 5X to leave you alone is a cry to draw attention to that situation and for someone to come to your aid. The lifeguard didn't do that, then saw fit to downplay the situation.

OP: inform the police. What he did could have been extremely dangerous. Also complain to the leisure centre. If there's video footage contradicting any aspect of what he said to you, and he's proven to have been negligent in that role, he should be relieved of it toute suite.

I swim regularly, and whilst I've had nothing even approaching this serious happen to me, I've frequently crossed paths with male swimsplainers, men wanting to strike up conversation when all I want to do is swim in peace, and men who are determined to engage in games of Water Patriarchy Chicken.

It's never women. Ever.

Not victim blaming. My initial response was before the many updates. I have repeatedly said Op should report immediately to pool management.

I agree.
Some men make a habit of swimming over women, pushing them etc. I stopped lane swimming years ago because of this.
The lifeguard sounds hopeless.

OP, this sounds terrifying. I'm sorry it happened to you.

The lifeguard's response was almost as bad as the assault. I would certainly point that out in a letter of complaint. In failing to (at the very least) tell your attacker to leave you alone, or escort him off the premises, the lifeguard has condoned an attack by a man on a woman in the pool. The management should be made aware of that.

If someone is doing breast stroke and you come into contact they will push you away/under

Can I also just point out that this man's intention was also to stop me swimming, to disrupt my training, and I don't see why I should give him the satisfaction. Stopping swimming, getting out, etc would have been like a reward to him I think. I suspect thats why he marched over when I stopped at the end to start shouting at me again.

The lifeguards are there to save you if you drown. They are not security guards and shouldn’t be expected to do anything than look out for people who need fishing out the pool.

Even if this is his first offence, he may do it again. I’d still report it. This was a serious incident.

Please report it. Just ask for it to be logged by the police. I think he will have done it before and will do it again.

That’s awful, I am too v sorry this happened to you. If you were doing front crawl, why would he expect you to acknowledge him/chat as when doing front crawl the head is frequently in the water and you can’t make visual contact with a person? Was it he didn’t like you being in the lane with him? Totally wrong of course if that was his thinking and then to physically assault is abhorrent.

In our pool the guards are told not to intervene in disputes.

Sounds like the guy has mental health issues. I'd report to the swimming pool. Not sure the Police will do anything with the information.

I found an answer to this a few years ago, after a man pushed me out of the way. He did a circuit of the pool, so I was ready for him when he approached me the second time. This time I'd turned so his face hit my elbow and I let out a piercing shriek, floundering wildly, coughing and gasping "oh my god, oh my god".

I'm quite old. Suddenly everyone in the pool was glowering at him. He slunk away. I don't usually have that much nerve. But I was damned if I was going to be forced out.

That's scary. No stranger should be touching you in a swimming pool unless you needed help. That man trying to hurt you sounds unhinged.

I don't think I would contact the police but I would put a formal complaint in writing to management detailing what happened and the lifeguard's actions too. There should be CCTV. I guarantee that this won't be the last time that this man does this to a woman.

Is it a pool where you need to be a member, or a council one where you pay on direct debit so would use a card to get in? Just wondering if there’s a way of narrowing down who the man is.

I’d report it to the police if you’re 100% confident it wasn’t accidental, which it sounds like you are. I know there’s CCTV at the pool (as in inside the swimming area) where I go, the police can request this if necessary

This man sounds deranged and needs to be investigated. But just be aware if there isn’t CCTV, the lifeguard sticks to his version, and the man denies it, it may be difficult for the police to charge him.

I’d definitely report it to the manager too - if it is a member set up, he needs this revoking.

@Ofcourseshecan maybe people like you are the reason why actual incidents against women aren't taken seriously!

Its a Council pool. You can pay as you go or book.

It definitely wasn't accidental!!!

Good for you OfCourseSheCan. I also screamed, but of course there was no-one to hear me other than the lifeguard.

No wonder this pool is so empty! It was lunchtime as well, you would have thought it would have been busier. I'm sure it used to be busier than it is now. tbh I don't pay a lot of attention to some stuff that some posters are suggesting; I'm quite single minded about doing my training, I don't go to notice things about other people swimming or meet people or create a fuss.

Agree with this. Please report asap! Dangerous person!

this is why women only sessions, women only lanes are so so important.

I think you should write a written complaint exactly as you have done here.

In the mean time I curse him so he stubs his toe and then bashes his elbow every time he acts like a twat

Some depressing experiences recounted here about MVAW, and some equally depressing victim blaming.

As Germain Greer said "Women have no idea how much men hate them".

Please report this assault OP. Hopefully there is CCTV footage of what happened. It sounds so scary. There are angry men everywhere and women are a soft target.

As a professional swimmer I know that an unwritten rule of swimming is ‘never disturb a swimmer mid-set’. I have had several ‘trying to get my attention’ episodes, but have never been shoved underwater (flicked with water, prodded on the shoulder etc yes). Report it. It’s disgusting.