8-year-old boy drowns in swimming pool

kelle

http://www.rte.ie/news/2009/0820/meath.html

It was mentioned on the 9 o'clock news there was lifeguards on duty.

Very shocking news.

RIP, and my condolances to his parents and family.

An eight-year-old boy has drowned in a public swimming pool in Co Meath this evening.

The young boy had been in the Aura swimming pool in Navan when he got into difficulties.

The swimming pool is owned by Meath County Council and leased to Aura.
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Elsewhere, in Co Antrim a search is under way in a river for a missing 14-year-old boy.

The PSNI say that a man and another teenage boy have already been rescued from the River Bush, near the village of Stranocum.

Emergency services including the Fire Service and a PSNI helicopter have been working in the area since the alarm was raised at 3pm today.

brendansmith

RIP

SV

That's terrible..

RIP.



oh, and to all the AH users who want to make a joke about this in some way..piss off.

Katarn1

I can only imagine how parents who suffer a loss like this feel.

My heart goes out to them and the rest of his family.

RIP

tommym037

Who would make a joke about something so sad? Thats sickening

RIP

SV wrote: »

That's terrible..

RIP.



oh, and to all the AH users who want to make a joke about this in some way..piss off.

stovelid

SV wrote: »

oh, and to all the AH users who want to make a joke about this in some way..piss off.

I doubt many will so why don't you leave the modding to the mods?

greendom

tommym037 wrote: »

Who would make a joke about something so sad? Thats sickening

RIP

We are talking after hours though - you do see some shocking stuff on here

tommym037

stovelid wrote: »

I doubt many will so why don't you leave the modding to the mods?

Why dont you mind your own business?

pickarooney

SV wrote: »

That's terrible..

RIP.



oh, and to all the AH users who want to make a joke about this in some way..piss off.

Fair enough, but why do people post this kind of thread in AH? There's a News and Media forum whose charter covers serious topical news issues; they're not suitable for this forum IMO.

MagicMarker

Feel sorry for the family, also feel sorry for the lifeguards!

KTRIC

I heard this earlier on the news. Terrible stuff.

As a mark of respect I will withhold my witty remark.

RIP little lad.

stovelid

tommym037 wrote: »

Why dont you mind your own business?

Like you did?

Ghost Train

bit more info here,

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2009/0821/breaking17.htm

walshb

Very sad, Was the boy a foreign national, as his name and the name of the parents
seem to say so.?

I heard there were six guards on duty, seems a lot, but that is what I heard...
An investigation needs to be thoroughly carried out here if
there were six on duty and this still happened...Strange

stovelid

I'm getting a pain in my tits with this sanctimonious shit.

I had zero intention of making a joke, but you can't open threads that involve any kind of gravitas in here and immediately weigh in and tell people to piss off or mind their own business if they make any comment other than sanctimonious RIP-flogging.

Who do you think you are?

greendom

stovelid wrote: »

I'm getting a pain in my tits with this sanctimonious shit.

I had zero intention of making a joke, but you can't open threads that involve any kind of gravitas in here and immediately weigh in and tell people to piss off or mind their own business if they make any comment other than sanctimonious RIP-flogging.

Who do you think you are?

Yes, this thread does not belong in After Hours

Terry

pickarooney wrote: »

Fair enough, but why do people post this kind of thread in AH? There's a News and Media forum whose charter covers serious topical news issues; they're not suitable for this forum IMO.

The stories are suitable for AH.
Certain users are not suitable for AH though.
I suggest those whose posts I deleted keep this in mind.

Zillah

Terry wrote: »

The stories are suitable for AH.
Certain users are not suitable for AH though.
I suggest those whose posts I deleted keep this in mind.

Honest question: How are we know when we're allowed make jokes? Like, there's insensitive jokes about all manner of serious stuff here every day, what's special about this one?

tommym037

A pain in your tits? Dont be so disgusting.

Have you even read this thread?

Show some respect.

walshb

Zillah wrote: »

Honest question: How are we know when we're allowed make jokes? Like, there's insensitive jokes about all manner of serious stuff here every day, what's special about this one?

Though I wouldn't make a joke in this or other cases, I have seen jokes
in many threads that were tragic, and nothing was ever said.

Consistency is needed

stovelid

tommym037 wrote: »

A pain in your tits? Dont be so disgusting.

Have you even read this thread?

Show some respect.

I am showing respect.

I do not, however, feel the need to be more respectful-than-thou.

It's something I would never joke about, but you don't mod or own the thread. There are people here that can make that call.

Mr.David

This thread is drowning

Gummy Panda

well at least the thread is evolving into some discussion and not every post is just someone posting RIP.

Terry

Zillah wrote: »

Honest question: How are we know when we're allowed make jokes? Like, there's insensitive jokes about all manner of serious stuff here every day, what's special about this one?

Hmm. Let me see.
A thread about an 8 year old dying. Is it suitable for making jokes in?
I'm going to have to say no.

Use common sense.
If you are lacking in that area, I'm sure we can come to some sort of arrangement.

walshb wrote: »

Though I wouldn't make a joke in this or other cases, I have seen jokes
in many threads that were tragic, and nothing was ever said.

Consistency is needed

Report the posts.

Terry

Mr.David wrote: »

This thread is drowning

Why would you post that?
It's not even mildly amusing.

Seriously. Did you really think that was funny?
That was just a really awful attempt at a pun.

Run_to_da_hills

pickarooney wrote: »

Fair enough, but why do people post this kind of thread in AH? There's a News and Media forum whose charter covers serious topical news issues; they're not suitable for this forum IMO.

First of all RIP to the child and condolences to the family.

Who looks at the news & media forum?, the thread turnover is extremely slow, about a two weeks in the first page. :rolleyes:

stovelid

MagicMarker wrote: »

also feel sorry for the lifeguards!

Have to say I agree.

Assuming it was just an accident, and not negligence, the guilt would be awful.

Mr.David

Terry wrote: »

Why would you post that?
It's not even mildly amusing.

Seriously. Did you really think that was funny?
That was just a really awful attempt at a pun.

Its a difficult thread - AH is the place to vent, to hone wit and humour. This thread isn't really the place to do that I was being restrained. I agree this thread isnt really AH material.

I'm glad you enjoyed it though

ceannair06

I think the point being made is that none of you knew the kid, and whilst it is sad, I am personally sick of all the "RIP little man, an angle (sic) in heaven" crap that gets posted.

It's like the Diana/Jade funerals - mind your own family first, and your own community as they are the ones who need the support and care.

Thomas_S_Hunterson

Run_to_da_hills wrote: »

Who looks at the news & media forum?, the thread turnover is extremely slow, about a two weeks in the first page. :rolleyes:

I would have thought it would be frowned upon to use After Hours as a catch-all just to gain an audience. It's quite tasteless making a spectacle of the death of an 8 year old boy.:pac:

greendom

ceannair06 wrote: »

I think the point being made is that none of you knew the kid, and whilst it is sad, I am personally sick of all the "RIP little man, an angle (sic) in heaven" crap that gets posted.

It's like the Diana/Jade funerals - mind your own family first, and your own community as they are the ones who need the support and care.

Agreed the thread should move away from this angle .

We should be looking at why it happened, could it have been avoided, is anyone to blame or is it just a tragic accident ? Will there be any consequences for Aura, either specifically in Navan or on a nationwide basis ?

goldenbrown

friday 930 news record that there were s i x lifeguards on duty


shame on them and that disgusting pool

Run_to_da_hills

A similar drowning occurred at the west County Hotel a number of years ago, I knew the father of this child, a three year old boy drowned in a fully supervised pool at a leasure complex.

Should the the swimmer / lifeguard ratio be increased if there are more younger swimmers present? or should they allow only a certain amount of kids in a pool at a time if it is mixed with adults?

http://www.rte.ie/news/2001/0115/drowning.html

MagicMarker

Run_to_da_hills wrote: »

A similar drowning occurred at the west County Hotel a number of years ago, I knew the father of this child, a three year old boy drowned in a fully supervised pool at a leasure complex.

Should the the swimmer / lifeguard ratio be increased if there are more younger swimmers present? or should they allow only a certain amount of kids in a pool at a time if it is mixed with adults?

http://www.rte.ie/news/2001/0115/drowning.html

No 3 year old should be in a pool without an adult by their side at all times, that's for sure.

An 8 year old may be no different.

MagicMarker

goldenbrown wrote: »

friday 930 news record that there were s i x lifeguards on duty


shame on them and that disgusting pool

You have no idea what happened, if it turns out they were all in the changing rooms playing tiddlywinks then I'll agree with you.

I'm not just going to assume they were at fault though.

Euro_Kraut

Accident happens like this. I remember a young girl died in the swimming pool in Tuam a few yeasr back.

Its very sad. But lets not over react. Its is a slow news day. A kid died in a pool. Terrible for the family, friends and the Navan community. This is really not the stuff of national headlines.

A investigation will be carried out as is the legal requirement. Until we know what happened I think speculation is not helpful.

mirwillbeback

Run_to_da_hills wrote: »

A similar drowning occurred at the west County Hotel a number of years ago, I knew the father of this child, a three year old boy drowned in a fully supervised pool at a leasure complex.

Should the the swimmer / lifeguard ratio be increased if there are more younger swimmers present? or should they allow only a certain amount of kids in a pool at a time if it is mixed with adults?

http://www.rte.ie/news/2001/0115/drowning.html

I was in the Carlton Hotel in Athy on Tuesday morning swimming with my 6 year old and was amazed that despite about 6 other children in the pool there was no sign of any life guard on duty. Only takes a second for a child to get into trouble.

Long Onion

You can't leave kids out of sight for a minute when there is water around. I'm not trying to deride anyone here, but personally I would not trust anyone to supervise my son, if he's swimming, I'm with him - end of.

If you do decide to delegate your responsibitity, you have to be prepared - six lifeguards or not if there are more than six people in the pool, the child will not get the 100% attention they need when in the water.

That's my view anyway, not judging and feel deeply sorry for the family.

P.S. on the humour debate, from the responses i've seen to some posts, the poulation is well capable of deciding what is and isn't decent.

greendom

MagicMarker wrote: »

No 3 year old should be in a pool without an adult by their side at all times, that's for sure.

An 8 year old may be no different.

I agree with the 3 year old - by the age of 8 it depends on the ability level of the child surely ?

Long Onion

greendom wrote: »

by the age of 8 it depends on the ability level of the child surely ?

Would you take the chance with your child?

walshb

Either way, a thorough investigation needs to be carried out, not the usual bull, oh it's terrible, what an accident, case closed.... If the lifeguards were negligent, then something
has to be done. I find it odd that this could have happened with six of them, though, it only takes an inhalation of a certain amount of water to drown a person.

MagicMarker

greendom wrote: »

I agree with the 3 year old - by the age of 8 it depends on the ability level of the child surely ?

Does it? When I was that age I swan at a local swimming baths in an olympic size pool, there were lifeguards but there were at times 100+ people in the pool.

I was obviously fine but would I be so trusting with my own children? I don't think I would.

hotshot_rf

Ok, this is a very complex issue which i need to comment. Firstly, people cant just blame the lifeguards. Having been a lifeguard for many years, i now realise how difficult the job is, especially on tough days like yesterday. Imagine how they felt yesterday? Imagine how they slept last night? Imagine all the questionning over the coming days?

Obviously, my sympathies are with the boys family, but also, with the Lifeguards. It is such a responsibility to have so any lives in your hands. In a pool with 50 or 60 people in it, or even 20, it is so hard to monitor them all. In a matter of seconds, a young child can go under. Remember that.

goldenbrown

MagicMarker wrote: »

You have no idea what happened, if it turns out they were all in the changing rooms playing tiddlywinks then I'll agree with you.

I'm not just going to assume they were at fault though.

I clearly know what happened
an 8 year drowns in a pool where there were 6 life guards on duty
what part of this do you not follow you clown?

MagicMarker

goldenbrown wrote: »

I clearly know what happened
an 8 year drowns in a pool where there were 6 life guards on duty
what part of this do you not follow you clown?

How many other people were in the pool?

Cop the fuck on, you have no idea what happened.

walshb

goldenbrown wrote: »

I clearly know what happened
an 8 year drowns in a pool where there were 6 life guards on duty
what part of this do you not follow you clown?

Maybe you should wait until all the facts come out before you
start insulting others.

Terry

goldenbrown wrote: »

I clearly know what happened
an 8 year drowns in a pool where there were 6 life guards on duty
what part of this do you not follow you clown?

Banned.

the_syco

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2009/0821/breaking17.htm

“The youngster was seen in difficulty in the water and he was taken from the water by a lifeguard who attended to him at the poolside,” he said.

An ambulance was called to the pool and paramedics attempted to resuscitate the boy before he was taken to Navan General Hospital, where he was pronounced dead a short time later.

From teaching youngsters how to swim, I know that you must keep an eye on them at all times. As they cannot, in most cases, stand up in the pool, they can quickly get into difficulty if they are more than half a foot away from the side of the pool.

When I was teaching, I'd be teaching 15 kids, and I'd usually have another lifeguard also helping to teach (this particular group were all "starters" and held onto the rail for dear life ).

Six lifeguards, lots of people.... meh. There should be a ban on small kids in a pool unless there's a 1:1 or parent:child ratio, IMO, as most of them can't swim.

greendom

Long Onion wrote: »

Would you take the chance with your child?

My son has just turned 9 and he was in an Aura pool yesterday (not Navan) so this has had quite an effect on me. He's been learning to swim since he was 5 and me or my wife have always been there to watch him (usually from the sidelines) He was a very timid swimmer to begin with and took a long time to move out of the beginners class but he's progressing rapidly now, although not fully fledged by a long way. So I have done; the supervision has always been excellent and he has never been in a "free swimming" environment. So I'm not sure whether the answer is yes or no

kc66

walshb wrote: »

Very sad, Was the boy a foreign national, as his name and the name of the parents
seem to say so.?

I think so. My neighbour is Nigerian and was telling us about this yesterday. It is the son of her friend that drowned.
Very sad.

Ghost Train

From what was siad on the radio about 80 people in the main pool and the times story says that 8 life guards were around.