Who is watching? Thank a Lifeguard

I blogged this last year on Supervision.   Having spent the last eight years dedicating my life to educating parents on drowning prevention it seems many still believe their kids are immune and are oblivious to the multiple of circumstances that results in a drowning.   There is no cure for drowning only PREVENTION.

Today, the day after our 8th anniversary of Hannah's death I visited two public swimming areas.   The heat is wild today and many are out in the open spaces trying to cool off.  These are not places to be when its sheer madness.  Its a recipe for disaster and sadly, its a matter of when not if it will happen.

Lifeguards were at one place everywhere but hard to see when you had over 2000 people in the water.  YES 2000 humans in the water or there about.    I felt for the lifeguards today.  Strategically placed every 30 m apart all 15 of them watching the water, picking kids up, instructing kids to stop jumping, bombing or diving in the shallows, the list goes on.   THEN.   I hear the horror stories from the dedicated lifeguards trying to earn their living like the rest of us (apart from volunteers).  

One shared the story of a rescue a toddler she caught out of the corner of her eye, so quick and fast.  She jumped in to rescue the child and yet the supervisor was no where.   When the adult was located an argument ensured and the poor lifeguard frazzled at her rescue was overwhelmed. I was appalled when this lifeguard told me she was accused of not watching this child and that she had no right to touch her.  Um...   Your child was in the process of drowning, this young lifeguard had the knowledge, skills and this is how they are thanked.  I was gobsmacked.  

Upon speaking to another lifeguard he said he is always confronted by abuse when he tries to locate the supervisors of young children.  This school holiday he says the worst age group is the 6 - 9 year old.  Too big for the shallow water at 30cm but not big enough for the deep pool.  He states "these kids just lose their footing, they forget to swim, they are just unaware that they can't do it all the time they need that edge still".  

Another public venue shared a story that really rattled me.  A rescue of an older child, not really great at the swim skills but they had some skills but when an incident occurred and he was pulled from the water there were NO SUPERVISORS watching him.    He was there ALONE.   Kids can't supervise themselves and Lifeguards are NOT BABYSITTERS.

Who is Supervising? 

As a swim teacher its abhorrent behaviour from parents, carers from adult supervisors to abuse LIFEGUARDS.    For pete's sake without our lifeguards the drowning stats in this country would be over 1000 at best.  Thank god and bless the Lifeguard.

Here's a message to all you obnoxious idiots who think Lifeguards are babysitters.   If you want a babysitter.  HIRE ONE qualified in lifeguarding, CPR, water rescue and swimming survival.   Its a costly exercise to HIRE ONE I tell you but go on, I'm sure many with these qualifications would dig your employment opportunity.   Seriously?  You couldn't afford their hourly rate at private contract level.    What I find rude and inconsiderate is that too many don't give a rats who is watching in a public venue.   Comments from patrons were eye opening too. 

"oh there's a life guard over there, she'll be right". (child with floaties on the arms in the water up to her waist, not in arms reach)

"oh they can swim or they can dog paddle". (two 5 year olds, on the edge of the deep pool adult supervisors about 20m away)

This list could go.  Its an eye opener for anyone.  I wouldn't want my adult children being lifeguards the responsibility is too great and having seen the devastation of what it does to you when you lose someone THEY KNOW.    I've spoken with many lifeguards since 2007 over the rescues and resuscitation of victims and the deaths.  These young people are scarred for life.   Many will never recover, some leave the lifeguard game, its too bloody stressful.

Then there is the social media expert who wishes to challenge the grieving parent or organisation trying to help educate the community.   I can tell you out of the 19 fatal I dealt with last year 17 of those kids could swim, had lessons, were considered a lesser risk in the water than those without.  THEY DIED.    So Swimming lessons wont save your life if you are NOT BEING SUPERVISED. 

To the ignorant people out there who think Swim lessons are the be all and end all think again.  Kids get IN TO TROUBLE WHEN SWIMMING.   If they are in trouble they can't rescue them selves.  Your supervision helps that risk reduce because you are actively watching them.   You will rescue them, just like a lifeguard will.  A life guard is YOUR back up on the water.  They are there to oversea the dangers of EVERYONE together.  Your role is YOUR CHILD/REN.  

So to all who think its OKAY to leave their children at a water venue alone, unsupervised or with limited supervision.   WAKE UP.   You are responsibility to the people you bring to that venue. YOU, not the poor life guard, not the café owner, not the cleaner and NOT other supervisors WHO do, do the right thing.

If you fail to supervise the children in your care and there are no barriers in place (PROPER LIFE JACKETS) then I'm one for having you charged when the drowning incident occurs. 

The amount of kids in bloody ridiculous flotation pool toys and being used as a safety device was astonishing.  It says on the product THIS IS NOT A FLOATION DEVICE.  

Are people really this bloody stupid?   This is all one venue.  The next venue is just as scary.

Visit the coffee shop I'm looking over the water and I see 11 heads in the water and 5 in canoes.  Its a river.   Bloody murky water.   The swimmers were in dark clothing.  Their shirts blended to the water on two as they were wearing a skin toned colour shirt.   I struggled watching them and I was 100m away.  The kids in the canoes had paddles and no life jackets at all.   These kids looked to me be in age of around 12 - 15.   The café waitress said "they've been here all week" and shook her head.

Now these kids were acting responsibly.  Until one of the canoes overturned and two kids ended up on the water.  I watched with my heart in my throat.   I was up on my feet, boots, jeans and all ready to run.  Two men down on the bank ran to these kids and one swam over to help.    One of the kids rang someone.  There was no injury but falling in without a life jacket both of these kids panicked.  

Another 20 mins or so three cars pull up and all the kids are turfed into cars with their canoes and taken away by either parents or people supposedly watching them.   Kudos to these men for being so alert.     A huge THUMBS down for the carers of these teens.    It happened in an instant.   I saw it myself.     The waitress said "I'm waiting for someone to drown".   Shit just got real for these people.

So the next time you are at a public venue (and at home).   WATCH THE CHILDREN.   Your kids, the neighbours kids, your kids best friends.  If you have KIDS in your care or HOME SUPERVISE THEM.

Kids who swim drown.   Kids cannot see danger.     KIDS NEED YOUR EYES.

Supervision and Barriers save lives.  Listen to the lifeguards and next time Thank them.    They have a tough job working on the water and its thankless.   So Thank the Lifeguards for keeping our waters safer with their eyes and skills but lets support them and be better supervisors ourselves as parents, carers, aunts, uncles, friends, neighbours and people in our community.

Its the only way drowning will stop.   Enjoy summer, stay safe, Thank your lifeguard.

Kat Plint
Founder of Hannah's Foundation
Swim Teacher
Coronial Researcher
Water Safety Advocate

Blow to family but Travis' legacy continues

Travis McCarron (Picture supplied by K McCarron for use by Hannah's Foundation)

http://m.tweeddailynews.com.au/news/tweed-mum-demands-safer-playgrounds/2640090/

The world of social media and news articles tend to work together. Families and social media/media is a struggle for many when their lives are the topic. 

What doesn’t work together is when a link and a news article distresses a family.  A grieving family, even though years on, the grief and despair of such a link causes heartache and pain.   WHY?  This is not an attack on the article above but the family have approved this blog post to help educate on how they are feeling right now.  In a few words Hurt and Angry come to mind.  Ive spoken with Travis' mother Kirsty.    Her favourite photo of her son Travis is above, she wants you all to know who, her Travis is.   

The link above is a great article and it has great warrant in its meaning.  After all a child , Travis McCarron, died at this park and recommendations exist to prevent a death from ccurring again.  It’s disappointing that a family is hurting again today.   They woke up not expecting such a blow to ones core of their heart.

What erks me more as an advocate for Families who have suffered a drowning is that at no point did anyone contact the McCarron family or even Hannah’s Foundation who for years along with the family have advocated this very subject.  How darn rude and disrespectful to Travis and his family.  That is my opinion and grieving families MUST be respected if you want to hear their stories.  Simply, Trust and honesty isn’t hard.  Is it?

The pain of seeing such an article and then having to see it constantly in your news feed with uneducated comments regarding the subject or the coronial inquest into Travis’ death then to have others just dismiss the message of safety delivered by Coroner Paul McMahon in the first place is tragic.   The Foundation along with the family supports Safer Play areas for parks that are in the proximity of water sources.    What we don’t support is the unnecessary use of a family’s tragedy for a personal gain, another cause either directed or misdirected in its subject or ill-informed comments towards the family.

What may seem good intentions in an online post or article, today, has caused hurt and that hurt needs and must be acknowledged.  The frustration also that a campaign that has constantly been advocated by Travis’ family has often come to silence to due to grief or dealing with  levels of governments and the ignorance of “it’s too hard, or no money”, the list of excuses travels on.  It is no wonder so many families struggle to continue to be advocates when the blockades in front of them debilitate them physically and emotionally.  Travis died, his inquest is public and his recommendations have been ignored which infuriates those who have suffered their greatest of losses.  

Even after all this time the pain of Travis’ loss is felt by his family and friends still and each day is as hard as the day before and last week.  Grief is a life long journey.  Many families struggle and perhaps an article could have reached them on a good day?  However to ‘piss off’ a family and make them infuriatingly mad that they are unable to respond is unjust.  To upset siblings, relatives and friends is another unjust reason to be beefed off with social media today.   I’ve seen and witnessed families having to be hospitalised due to such shocks without being forearmed.  It’s difficult to talk about drowning and safety without a ridicule from an uneducated opinion online.  Imagine YOUR shock if this was YOUR child, YOUR family?    Respect goes a long way to reaching the messages of safety and using another childs death to obtain an outcome.  Travis' family have no problem or issue with permission but they are shocked they weren't informed, that's all.   Common courtesy was lost today, it created hurt.

Travis’ family support “Safer Play Grounds” after all their son lost his life because of failed duty of care of supervison by his day carer and the failure of a barrier to water.  Both would have saved his life.  So to make his life and death not be in vain help promote this link to promote the real reasons behind the campaign itself.   The truth for Travis needs to be told and promoted always.   Please supervise your children around water always, be alert of the environment in new places and especially make sure you have barriers in place to prevent access. In public areas always be alert it only takes seconds to lose a loved one and a lifetime to grieve their loss.

Please jump online to the causes.com and support the McCarron family and promote "Safer Play Areas for children".   https://www.causes.com/causes/266444-travis-mccarron-petition-for-fencing-around-childrens-playgrounds.

For further comment you can contact Hannah's Foundation on 07 5465 2000 or email Katherine@hannahsfoundation.org.au or Twitter:  @HFKatPlint

Kat Plint
Founder of Hannah's Foundation

Not enough, Too many

Since the 15th December 2014 the Foundation has received over 40 calls for support from over 70+ drowning.  YES 40. YES SHOCKING 70+. Some of those are from multiple family members however many are from just the immediate family.   The sadness and grief is overwhelming at times, no doubt when we are all living it.

What really got my goat up today when I was discussing this shocking statistic was is our awareness doing its job?  Well for a start this advocacy journey is NOT A JOB, its a heartfelt walk that many of who have lost loved ones are trying to do as best we can and without funding to do it.   Some days are hard enough without the questioning of  'is it enough?'.  I often ask myself daily are we doing enough ?  Can we do it better?  For sure.  Absolutely we can.  However how much time is in the day?   Where is the Funding?   Sadly our work needs money, because social media is all we have and we have no staff to run our office.  Our volunteer families work their backsides off and often go unmentioned as they request but they are worthy of a very big thank you.

Just today, we were up early, on the phones helping a family attempting to organise a funeral, liaise with the funeral accounts department, get claim forms in , approvals, then off to do a media article, speak to more people, ring some contacts and its only 11am.    Spare me, we aren't doing enough. 

Where is the Community going to be with us on this issue?   Why do they blame us when it all goes wrong, when the statistics go so high yet some wont display our brochures or hear us speak?  Why is that when a drowning occurs the parents are always blamed yet no one knows the circumstances?  Why are you all so judgmental?

Before you criticise our awareness take a really good hard look at what we do.   We provide FREE advise for pool safety and advise for FREE the many photos sent to us with measurements and questions to ensure houses are compliant. This week I personally have researched TWO Coronial inquests, written two reports, searched our server for documents to supply to coroners and I still have more to do.  The multiple posts on Facebook and Twitter to keep people on top of messages is crucial we attempt a few posts a week sometimes more daily.  The list is endless then we have the government reporting to do and this month I'm behind in the filing (its kind of like doing laundry, put in the basket and hope it folds itself). 

We provide at minimal cost Pool safety inspections.   Talk to schools when allowed to help kids understand the dangers of water.  Its difficult to hear what kids tell us about what happens at home regarding boating and alcohol, not wearing life jackets and kids as young as Prep telling us that they bath their baby siblings.   Its darn horrifying and there are some days when I just come home, sit here and cry.   People just don't get it.   Why don't those who question us look at those government funded organisations?   Ask them what is it that they do?    If we focus on one factor of drowning, another factor goes up.  Drowning prevention needs to be consistent.  Its needs to be daily, in your face, constant and factual. 

Drowning is real.  Drowning can happen to anyone, anytime, any place.   Drowning only has the cure by Prevention.  So if you believe in our cause help make a donation instead of being critical of our passion. One day you might just need this examplorary service that is well documented and so many families are very grateful for.

Kat Plint.

SUPERVISION - Your priority near the pool

There are 23 more days til Christmas. 

There is only 8 more days til Hannah's 10th Birthday.

I should be preparing a house full of near teenage girls partying with their horses and eating cake but instead I visit a grave and watch other parents do the same this time of year.  Other parents are also heartbreakingly watching their child die slowly from their injuries because they too drowned not so long ago and their medical complications are nearing the end.  Its all too darn tragic.  Its an awful time for everyone but what is frustrating me most right now is that we can't change the past of those victims who are suffering and those on the outside of our world aren't listening to the messages of saving kids lives and their own.

This morning I received a phone call from Lee.   She raved about our safety messages and said she shared them when she could on social media. Thanks Lee, we need more people like you. 

Lee's phone call had me wild, angry and shaking my head but honestly I wasn't suprised by it at all because we are seeing it time and time again.    Lee's story was only recent and its impacted her severely that she had to call us.    Whilst visiting friends with a pool all the kids were swimming in Swim vests with Lee in the pool.  No one was on the pool deck supervising, leaving the onus of responsibility to Lee.  She felt rather uncomfortable.    Another parent dropped her child off with just a kickboard.  A non swimmer to which Lee is unaware.  Mum leaves to go visit the home owner and Lee is now watching three non swimmers, two in vests and one not.   Seconds later she is swimming frantically to get to the non swimmer who is now on the bottom of the pool and the kickboard swimmingly on top.  Its all happened in a blink.   Blocking her view too was a bean bag floating in the pool.  The child was under it. 

These occurrences are too frequent and they must stop.

Parents need to think.  Just because one person is there doesn't mean all kids are safer. Infact the more kids to less adults the more the risk, the higher risk is no adults at all with kids in the pool.  Whilst Lee was rescuing this child, the other two children were NOT supervised.    When swimmers are in the water including Adults EVERYONE must be supervised ON DECK.  Where was that supervision on deck? 

Drowning has no sound, it is silent.  When the victim is vertical in the water their arms will angel push their bodies to the top of the water in an attempt to survive and to get AIR.  They can't call out, they are fighting for AIR to live, to breathe.  Drowning is called the Silent killer for a reason because its deadly silent.  Ask only parent who has witnessed this eerie  silence of death.  

Swimming is a fun part of Christmas with family.   Very quickly though as Lee recounted it could have been very different.  Whilst the child was okay coughing and spluttering with her little heart racing what astounds me further is that the mother of this child was oblivious to the whole situation.   Dismissing it as Lee's fault and that nothing serious happened.  Whilst Lee took her supervision seriously and with three kids, a quick accident of this child losing her kick board, her sole floatation aid turned to horror under the water.   I feel for Lee and this child, this would and was a scary and very real situation.  Of course if the situation was fatal the public would be turning on Lee and the blame game starting.  Happens every time.

It astounds me that so few parents don't take water seriously when it involves children.  They are oblivious to their own actions. Other actions are propping open pool gates.  This killed 7 children last year and I am angry that NOT one pool owner/carer/parent or tenant who propped that gate open were charged.    They breached safety.     The safety in this case?   Supervision was there but there were no barriers.  A barrier in this case would have been a Life jacket compliant to standards.  Not a swim vest although with three non swimmers a vest is better than nothing.  The child should have been instructed to not go outside the depth of the shallow end.  Lee didnt know this child or her ability, yet the onus was placed on Lee to fully watch this child.    Again, its always the supervisors fault or the carer at the time, which was Lee.

Lee stated she will never, ever accept the responsibility of another child in a body of water again.   The pressure was enormous and she is angry. I feel her anger. 

It takes 20 seconds to drown.   Then the brain starts to die.  Slowly.   Its a timed race against time that truly no one should ever experience.

There are many stories out there of frightening events like this. We try to tell the facts of drowning and how quickly they occur.  

Please I urge you to help your children around water, be with them, play with them, get them familiar and for pete's sake TEACH them survival skills at a swim school.  Roll over and float.  Do not teach them breath holding it, too, is dangerous.

A message for today, keep an eye on your kids, and actively supervise them.  If they are non swimmers get in the water with them to keep them at arms reach it wont hurt you.

A message this Christmas....  Stay Alive and Supervise your children

Just because kids can swim doesn't mean they can't drown, many swimmers drowned last year.  

Kat Plint
Learn to Swim Instructor
Drowning Prevention Advocate

My vision: my Reality

It's been seven years, two months and nine days since we lost Hannah.  Many thought we'd never last as a charity, let alone a family, together.  Well we are.

In January 2008 I met Rachelle and Richard Beesley who set me on a path to follow a dream to become a Swimming Instructor.   Only problem:  I hated water.  Freaked out at Chlorine.  Cried when I saw blonde hair blue eyed girls in purple swimmers and the list went on.

Harry and I in Sydney whilst he was doing KASS.  Lunch at Bondi

I so badly wanted to make a difference in the water but for the past seven years its been outside.  Well up until now that is.

On the 10th November 2014 I finally finished my ASCTA Learn to Swim.   Its taken seven years in and out of the water, multiple sessions with my private psychiatrist and help from Professional Counsellor Dawn Macintyre to get to this point.   Professionals gave me the power in  my mind amidst all the trauma to get through this but what truly did make the solid difference to my success and confidence was a few people in the swim industry who made it happen.  Some public and a few private who choose not to be mentioned on my rippled journey.

I have spent time in schools volunteering to watch kids in the water, visiting swim schools and just sitting by the pool watching, observing and coming home to write my notes and views.  I've seen many things that make me shudder and thank the stars that we don't have more statistics.   I pulled a child from the water not so long back and I did it without batting an eye lid.  This child clearly just forgot to kick and was in trouble and sank wide eyed looking at us from the side of the pool.   Others just stood thinking I was crazy but clearly NOT many adults KNOW what drowning looks like or when a swimmer is in trouble.  Adults need to be more aware, whilst supervision is active what could seem as seemless fun could infact be a child in trouble.  I overheard a parent on the course of my LTS Journey that their child was a 'lazy kicker' in the pool.  I've heard 'my kids can swim 200m blah blah' yet when put the test the kids can't even get to the side of the pool let alone contemplate the end of the lane.  It's scary.

With my time at KASS in Sydney in 2008 and again for six weeks with our son Harry in 2010 I observed and asked so many questions I was empowered.   When we travelled to the USA in 2012 to attend the NDPA conference in San Diego I spoke to many about Infant Swim in Australia, Learn to Float in the USA and other programs that focus on Survival.  Its about surviving the water fun that can turn deadly in seconds. 

I focus on survival.   The messages of safety are important and children and their parents get them at every lesson. I dont intend to set out to teach a champion.  I want survival.  Survival to keep kids fit. Survival skills to help kids problem solve and empower kids with enough information that they respect the water.  I can tell you the amount of children between 8 and 18 that play dangerous games, enter risk and dares is beyond comprehension.   We only have seen the statistics but I can assure you, if your boy is aged in this bracket at one point in his life he will take a water risk.   Educate them.

KASS started me off on my journey.  We wanted to open a swim school in QLD to just teach survival.  It is still a dream but now I am closer to it.  The Survival is still not supported as a regime but that's okay. For me, I know it works and I just wish Hannah had of had that opportunity because we will never know if it could have saved her.

From KASS we ventured to Goodna Pool with Justin Lemberg (former Olympian, Darren, Di, Judy and his team).   After a fatal at their public pool I had formed a relationship with both Justin and Di as professionals to guide me further on my journey.  I asked questions.  I nagged them about programs and WHY this was done and why that was done.  It all aided me in my quest.

For the past five years Ive battled the demons of the pool.  Just getting myself in the water was an enormous task.  The fears and flashbacks of Hannah in the pool was horrific that I'd shake and I had to get out.   I would sit at the side and dabble my feet.    Watch kids playing.  One time I left the pool in tears and couldn't even manage the 50 minute drive home. I sat for hours in the car park asking myself "what the hell am i doing this for?"

Dawn Macintyre was my sounding board of frustration and my inabilities.  My Psychiatrist had diagnosed me with multiple disorders which were helpful but I felt labelled and over medicated.   I don't want to be a label in the pool.  I don't want to be a LTS who a mother of a child who drowned but sadly I do and I am.  That's my reality.   Who wants their child taught by a mother who failed to supervise her child?   There's a few which is encouraging.

My log book is extensive with observations at 9 swim schools around three states of Australia 2 in the USA and over 167 hrs in the water with kids and instructors and 111 beside the pool.   I've over exerted myself with knowledge but I'm grateful for the opportunity.

In 2013 my life took a turn in April for the worst.  A health scare made me organise my life with an updated Will and making arrangements for possible Physcial care.   Suffering the worst two surgeries in nine days and cardiac issues and being in ICU i re-evaluated my life as it was.

In October 2013 I ventured back into the pool.  Just walking and getting my strength back was the biggest struggle.  Walking hurt, my back hurt everything from surgery hurt and it was weak.   My physiotherapist and Surgeon said "to strength your lower body you must get in the water'.  The ground could have swallowed me then and there.   

So swim I did.

Eve Fraser at Greenbank and her manager Viki got me in the pool walking laps for hours I just walked at chest height with the water slapping my slides.  It tooks me 3 times a week to get the courage up to book in to what would ultimately now change my life.   I booked a Learn to Swim course to become a teacher.

I bit the bullet so to speak.  My Husband Andrew was worried of course and I battled and cried as I struggled with my health (he had taken four months off to look after me and the kids) and then to get fit was the life changer.  I was losing weight.  I was walking faster, coping with stair cases, even riding a horse again which my surgeon suggested was probably not a good idea but I LOVE RIDING.

I've seen some of the best at work and I am truly blessed.   I've managed two CPR courses in 13 months and a First Aid course something many of us try to avoid having lost a child with our fruitless attempts.  I am now qualified and I aim to equip kids with skills, knowledge, fitness and survival skills to the best of my ability and help those kids, who like me, fear the water.   I don't ever proclaim to the best but I am good at it.

My dream to one day opening up the Hannahs Foundation Not For Profit Swim School is one step closer to our dream for our baby girl and it's her, my family and all those who have helped this journey, have made it possible.

Never tell me I cant do it.  Because I have and I am determined to make a difference. To all those parents who think they can't do something, you can.  It's taken me seven years and it's been one hell of a wild ride.

Kat Plint
Learn to Swim Instructor


 

In the real world

Response to:  Article from IVillage – QUOTE “If you don’t teach your kids to swim, you’re selfish.”I’m going to say it: This is straight-up lazy parenting.(unquote)

Dear Anonymous,

I write to express my utter distaste for your delivery of tone in your recent article on IVillage.  How Perfect you must be sitting at your desk insinuating that parents don’t care about their children, are lazy and inept in the care of their children when it comes to water safety.  You have certainly raised a few eyebrows as an ANONYMOUS author.  

What’s my view on the anonymous protection of your identity?  GUTLESS and COWARDLY!  

View point on the article itself?   You had great intentions but you totally missed the mark in a huge way, sending social media into a frenzy of mothers out there having to PROTECT their decisions for THEIR families. 

You on the other hand have obviously, purposely alienated yourself by not identifying yourself. I wonder if you did show us who you are, would you get hate mail?   Like the parents of children who drown do because they apparently failed.  I have plenty of hate mail and threats and so have my surviving children.   Drowning is cruel.  It’s incomprehensible  what families and victims go through.  It’s forever life changing.  Your life hasn’t changed has it Dear Anonymous?   Or Has it?   Was that day a wake up call for you?  How about instead of blaming and questioning others in your world why not question those close to home?  

I am the parent of a daughter, Hannah, aged 34 months at the time of her death who did exactly what your child's friend managed to do with chairs and open a pool gate and enter pool water.  Hannah knew the rules of our house, she could swim she had swum from six months of age and two nights before her death managed to complete two full lengths of our above ground pool without stopping in her freestyle.   She could have done three laps.  

Hannah died two days later on October 4^th 2007. I was changing my son’s nappy, that’s how quick it happened.    Just like you said in your article that the child in your care knew better.  My question is really, were they old enough to know better?  Had they been around water all their life to know better?  Had you told them the rules of the house or did you have ‘expect’ a child of eight to know?   My child was only nearing three years old and yet I don’t blame her one bit, it’s my fault.  I find it very infuriating to hear such diatribe from the uneducated on pool safety.  You know nothing.  It’s probably irrelevant to you, nor do I think you care but Hannah’s Coronial Inquest shaped the pool safety laws in QLD for what they are right now into SAVING LIVES.    Our house had 19 breaches to building codes, council had approved our house as compliant prior to purchase we thought our house was safe.  We taught Hannah to swim, all our five children can swim, we did everything right in trying to keep our children safe.  Yet for whatever reason when I was inside and Hannah was beside me, then to walk out on to our verandah and access our locked pool gate is just unthinkable.  Its been seven years and I still have nightmares.  Do you have nightmares Dear Anonymous for your near miss?   Do you?   I doubt it.  Heartless people don’t have nightmares they give me nightmares.   

There are two facts are in your article that make me really mad as a parent of a child who drowned and as a drowning prevention advocate.  *(Google me:  Kat Plint, Hannah’s Foundation)

FACT 1:  Your pool had items of climbing potential around it and it was scaled that is a MASSIVE FAIL on your part.   

FACT 2:  You only just sighted this child after she had scaled your pool fence and you watched her.  WHO does that?   Why did you educate this child on safety?  You wouldn’t of been there if that child had of dived in, fallen in or hit her head etc.  

How fast can you run Anonymous to your pool?   15 – 45seconds at best maybe?   By the time you get outside it’s too late.  Her brain would be slowly being deprived of oxygen and dying.  This is real. This is drowning. Not swimming, it’s about survival.   Could you live with that?  Could you live with telling your child's friends parent that their child died on your watch because you were too lazy to be outside?  

Many parents know that Active supervision is required when kids are in and around water.  Those that drown are unfortunate sad accidents that yes could have been avoided but for momentary lapses for whatever reason unintentional a child died and that is tragic.   There is no cure for drowning only prevention.  You might just pay to look up the word RISK in the dictionary.  Life is full of risks Dear Anonymous and its not just eight year olds who come to play at your house and can’t swim that could die in your care. 

The facts are staring at you and you failed in your insulating grab at poor mums out there that you were nearly me.   You could have been living my life.  A child drowned in my care it could have been you.  Fact is that drowning can and will happen to anyone, anytime if safety isn’t paramount.  I’m glad for one that you aren’t living my life because it’s a pretty crappy life to live and get up every day knowing that your baby isn’t alive and isn’t with you.  

FACT:  Your Supervision wasn’t active until right at the end. Active supervision, where was it?   You are one of the lucky ones Dear Anonymous, one of the lucky ones that doesn’t live with such tragic consequences, live life of grief and constant public ridicule of why what were you doing.   The tirade of tone in your post was offensive.  Blaming mothers for their yoga and not teaching their kids to swim?  Are you serious? 

HOW dare you?  Who are you? Should we, the public care what you think?   No not really because any caring parent firstly wouldn’t  judge another but instead offer support to help the situation. You take digging the knives into others isn’t helping our cause of advocacy.  Life is a potential risk.    
Let me educate you on the real facts of the tragedy that could have unfolded in your back yard.

FACT:  20 seconds is all it takes for a child to drown. 

FACT: Most kids who drown over five years can swim or have had lessons. Even those under five too. Those that don’t are more often than not, not the ones drowning.   In the past two years children over Eight who have died have been Swimmers who DROWNED.  Good Swimmers, Olympic Swimmers and Divers have drowned.   

FACT:  Coroners in Australia have only ever recommended Supervision and Compliant barriers to prevent drowning and have never questioned swimming lessons or the ability of a victim.  

FACT:  With so many who do swim, can swim and have drowned, the only conclusion you can possibly equate is that swimming doesn’t save lives if it did why do swimmers drown? 

FACT:  Swimmers drown because they are unskilled.   Even the best of Olympic and competition swimmers in open water ways have become troubled in water and died.  Nothing can equip you for every possible scenario in water but yes teaching kids just to get out of the pool is a bit unrealistic as well its not about getting out its about SURVIVAL.  

FACT:  your house is probably more than dangerous than you care to even contemplate.   Poisons in unlocked cupboards, televisions on furniture, blind cords, the list goes on including the family care.  Kids can be killed in any part of the home. 

I find your expectations of a child all of eight years to be unrealistic.   A child may know the rules, be trained in all the emergency procedures but I’d like to inform you that when kids are tested in times of dangers THEY FORGET.  Adults forget too.  Dear Anonymous do you know CPR?   Can you do it effectively when under stress with a dying child in front of you?   It may be a mean and nasty question but its fact because this is what is faced with many of us who try and save our own child.  CPR doesn’t always work either there are no guarantees in life.

You expect every child to know how to swim, not climb a fence, not be adventurous and not get into mischief at your house?   What were you doing inside the house if she was outside?  This would be a police question.  One I was asked and so were many other parents.   If kids can’t be adventurous in house how sad for your children.  And even sadder is that this little girl can’t come back to your house to play and have social interaction with friends, your child.    How awful.   I sincerely hope you told your child that her friend can’t come to play because her friend can’t swim.   Get over yourself, you cant be serious? How petty.   That would be like me saying to my children’s friends you can’t come here because you can’t horse ride, ride motorbikes, quad bikes or pat the cows because they aren’t farmers or have never been on a farm.  What about life experience Dear Anonymous? 
  
There are some very sad accidents in life and I am sure having read many of the parent’s comments to your post that they too are seething at you.   Im just annoyed at your naivity.   Mothers have a hard job at best, yet just like the other debates across mummy blog world breast vs bottle, natural vs caesarean, vaccinate or no vacs the list goes on you have segregated a community of mothers who are unable to have their children taught to swim.   Many would want their children to swim. It’s not a can’t matter,  its unable.  These mothers respond with other safety precautions and they too, have my support.

Yes swimming is a skill for life and I agree. Think about those who you criticised.  A mother in a wheelchair raising four kids and a husband who travels.   Do you offer to support this mother and help her in the water at the pool?   Don’t think so.

A mother who is raising three children, two severely austistic.  Water is an attraction to autistic children and these mothers have a hard time just getting two hours sleep let alone fight with their children in the pool with an instructor and end up having an overstimulated child who doesn’t sleep afterwards making for a ‘shitty’ night. Only to have to do it all again next week to suit your opinion that they are lazy parents.  They are not lazy at all.  These mothers don’t put their kids in harms way they go way above it to avoid it.  

Those mothers just trying to keep a roof over their childrens head and food on the table.   Seriously you dont  live their lives so stay out of it, look after you own life Its not perfect by any means.  

Just because Dear Anonymous you want every child to swim isn’t realistic.  There are children too who can’t swim because they too are disabled, have a medical condition which doesn’t allow them to be in water because it’s too dangerous.   Would you expect a child of eight who had over 40 seizures a day to learn to swim?   Do you know how dangerous that is not only for the child but for the instructor (with two other kids in their class) too. Would you have this child visit your home?  Are your prepared for this too?     

Unrealistic expectations is what you have Dear Anonymous.    How sad our world has become.  Such a pity that the anonymous’ out there life, live in their perfect bubbled worlds and aren’t very charitable towards others.

Sadly when a child drowns Dear Anonymous I can hear your posts now that the poor mums are to blame. Give mothers a break.

Feel free to contact Hannah's Foundation, a registered charity to support drowning victims and their families and who provide valuable community education to prevent drownings.

Kat Plint

 

 

Drowning: the inbetween Life and Death Victim survivor - a Mothers story

Yesterday I received a letter via email from another mother, Evelynne(Name changed) who shared with me the most personal details of her five year old daughters drowning in 2012. She has asked me to share it.

I'd like to thank Evelynne for her words and recall of this all too common tragedy in the backyard pool.

Drowning, when reported in the media has usually two outcomes for the general public; Dead or alive.  On many occasions children are in the Intensive Care unit fighting for life and the media never report the 'inbetween' aftermath.

Today my blog post focus' on the "inbetweens". Those victims who have and did drown and/or die,  only to recover (or be revived) and be alive.  However these victims, usually children, now live with disabilites and/or medical conditions that impact on their everyday life and their families.

Hannah's Foundation currently has 17 children aged between two years and 27 years(drowning at 15) who live with a multiple range of many medical conditions and disabilities caused by drowning. Sadly the most severe of the inbetweens will lose their lives to the injuries that were caused by them drowning. The Foundation has supported over 27 families who have had children survive only to die with weeks, months or years afterwards.   These families too matter because most often than not their stories arent told.  Many families just aren't able to tell their stories because its too painful and they live in fear of THAT day that changed their lives.  To all these families our support, hearts and love are with you all.  Evelynne's story is just one of the many drownings that happen every year. 

Evelynne's letter shares the incident in which her daughter drowned before two adults and other children in the pool. A good Level two swimmer, like many young victims, had somehow ended up on the bottom of the pool. It only takes a matter of seconds. Seconds count. The aftermath of a drowning affects everyone. The Parent, The Victim, others around them at the time, Emergency services, Doctors, Nurses and even police and those that are just too overwhelmed at the retelling of the story, its affects a whole community.  Drowning is a community issue that needs to be discussed.

Drowning is fatal. Drowning is living. But drowning too, is living with a life not as before. Life changes.    Just as this family as it does for many. I hope that the messages in Evelynne's letter can help educate on the risks around water, never be reliant on skills of children and always be alert with Supervision. As Evelynne stated in a subsequent email "If I hadn't of done CPR she wouldn't be here". Supervision, Barriers, Swim Skills and CPR save lives. In this case the Supervision and CPR saved a life but its not always like this. CPR is the last resort and Evelynne knows that her daughter was close to death. A drowning is a drowning. There is no who has it worse, who has it better. Whatever the outcome we must all live with the event and manage the guilt/burdens/grief/trauma and days ahead with honour and love from within.

Kat Plint
Founder Hannah's Foundation 

Evelynne's Letter:

Hi Kat,

After reading your blog on the Foundations website yesterday I felt compelled to share my story with you and to thank you for helping others.

In Dec of 2012 my kids and I were visiting a cousin’s house. I had given birth to my third child six days earlier and my older 2 aged nine and five decided they would go for a swim in the pool with their cousins. My Five year old had completed levels 1 & 2 in swimming lessons and she was confident in the water where she could stand. My cousin and I supervised the children, sitting only a metre or so from the pool. I looked down briefly to mix some formula for my newborn. It didn’t seem like i was distracted for long but in those few moments my five year old daughter lost her footing on the pool safety ledge and slipped silently and quickly beneath the water.  While jumping in and out of the pool my nine year old son and his eight year old cousin spotted her on the bottom, they dove to pull her up and surfaced calling my name frantically. She was blue, foaming at the mouth and nose and was lifeless. She wasn’t breathing. The world stood still. I scrambled to find a safe place to put the baby and I then grabbed her lifeless body. I laid her down beside the pool and began to breathe into her mouth doing CPR. After multiple cycles of CPR and compressions my daughter finally took a breath, vomited and opened her eyes.  I will never forget this or the smells.

Her eyes were eerily glassy and I didn’t know if she was going to be ok.  The ambulance officers arrived but her oxygen levels were very low. I had to keep her conscious, but all she wanted to do was close her eyes and go to sleep.  We soon arrived at the hospital where she was admitted. She had fluid and vomit on her lungs and her oxygen levels needed to be monitored as they kept dropping. Somehow though, through the grace of God or whatever powers were looking over us that day.  Whilst no permanent damage is visible there are learning disabilities as she has started school.  These will need support as she grows older and we are thankful that we have our little girl back. 

I, in no way claim to know what you or anyone else who has lost their child to drowning is going through but I do know that the scene of seeing your child like that is one that haunts me every day. I am forever panicking about where my children are, whether the toilet door is open or closed (for fear that my little one will fall in head first and drown), wondering when something else is going to happen, constantly fearing that I will lose a child because I wasn’t attentive enough - just like I wasn’t that day.  Life just doesn’t seem the same. Things that were once fun to do as a family, turn me into a panicking, not so fun mum, worrying about every possible hazard. I feel like I’m suffocating my kids but I don’t know how to stop it. I get frustrated when people don’t seem to understand how urgent the situation was that day and how quickly it all unfolded before us. All they see is that she is here and just can’t understand why I am the way I am. I been told to 'get over it' and that I have to 'move on'. But I can’t. I just can’t. My mind won’t let me.

Thank you for reading my story and understanding it.  Please share my story so that others who live in fear like we do every day can find comfort that they aren’t alone.  Maybe reading my story or others like yours could save lives.  

Kind Regards
Evelynne