January 31, 2025: people behaving badly
Good Morning,
After a very long day yesterday, I'm back in Alberta. Air travel 12 hours after an aviation disaster was eerie: I feel like everyone I interacted with (from gate agents to passengers to airport retail staff and flight attendants) was on their best behavior. Usually someone is hotheaded, yelling at their toddler or complaining into their phone, and there was absolutely none of that yesterday.
We met a couple in Orlando waiting to board their flight on American Airlines to Reagan National (delayed 3 hours until the airport reopened to flights at 11am EST on January 30), and they had no idea what to expect on that final approach across the Potomac River. The one ray of sunshine in a 15- hour day (Port Canaveral - Orlando - Montreal - Calgary - Okotoks) was meeting an Air Canada flight attendant named Lancelot. Yes, that's his legal name, and no, he has not met anyone else with that name so far in his lifetime.
Unlike last week, this week's articles and news have a clear theme: people behaving badly. From parents allegedly not supervising their children to lifeguards allegedly not supervising swimmers, this is a hard week for news. I've tried to included a few other topics for levity, but it's lipstick on a pig.
El Paso water park drowning: lawyer claims lifeguards were frying churros, not supervising
In a counter to the claim in last week's newsletter that the mom was on her phone and not watching her child, her lawyer suggests in a deposition 1) lifeguards could not hear emergency signals due to noise levels in the water park kitchen, and 2) it was the first day of work for the lifeguard on that zone, and they were unprepared for the bather load. None of these claims have been proven in court.
Teenage lifeguard assaulted: ‘Disturbing’ details emerge of attack at pool in Narre Warren, Melbourne
Awful and completely inexcusable, but something we apparently now need to discuss when we talk to our aquatic team about how far they should go when trying to diffuse a situation.
Royal Life Saving condemns assaults on pool lifeguards
According to Royal Life Saving research, last year there were over 2,000 incidents of abuse, violence, and aggression directed at staff working in aquatic facilities around the country [Australia].
New Campaign Tackles Abuse Against Lifeguards: Keep Your Cool at the Pool
I've shared this before, but apparently it's worth sharing again.
Man drowned at Bensalem complex, lifeguard couldn’t find him in cloudy pool: lawsuit
ICYMI, Canadians still can't reshare any news media on Meta (Facebook or Instagram). This one generated healthy conversation, and - unfortunately - sounds not dissimilar to this Falls River, MA death.
Family settles with Smugglers’ Notch resort following son’s drowning death
We finally have photos of what the opening looked like and where it was located in relation to the splash pad where the child was playing. I would never let an employee do this, but the lifeguard who apparently went into the tank and attempted to rescue the child truly needs to be commended for how seriously they put their own personal safety at risk.
I talked about the original incident here including at least two times in Alberta where I've physically seen spray park surge/transfer/storage tanks at the deck level left complete unsecured. This is something every facility should be looking at in 2025.
Woman injured when decorative helicopter fell in 2023 sues American Dream
This was about six weeks after I visited in February 2023 - you can see the original helicopter in question here.
'I did the best I could,' says lifeguard following pool death
One of the lifeguards charged claims they never received training on Shallow Water Blackout (SWB) or the dangers of hypoxic training, and I completely believe him. Some corners of our industry are doing a great job on education & advocacy, but I would guesstimate that 75% of guards on decks because certified well before the recent push and have zero knowledge. This is something to incorporate in your next aquatic staff inservice. Please don't hesitate to reach out if you need ideas for your lesson plan; there are many great videos, news articles and resources available online.
Hotels on Greek islands could soon fill swimming pools with seawater in drought fight
I don't usually mention proposed bills since a lot can change and might never be ratified, but you can't just use ocean water in a swimming pool without other mechanical upgrades to the operating system. I hope a pool operator gets the opportunity to explain how this is more complicated than they realize.
Outdoor Pools in Toronto close to waste heat sources
I have no idea whether or not this would actually work, but someone had some time on their hands to put this all together!
My brother and father drowned on a bright summer day. Swimming brings me closer to the two men I’ve lost
Her brother and father drowned in an irrigation channel.
Recreation users won’t pay extra fees to support venue upgrades
People want swimming pools in their communities, but they don't want to pay the rates required to operate them in current adverse economic conditions.
We've made updates to the 2025 Certified Pool Operator (CPO) class schedule, specifically dates in April (later) & September (earlier) and will be adding an in-person class April 29-30 in Jasper, AB later today, so please check our website for the most up-to-date information.
If you are interested in hosting a private or semi-private CPO class on Zoom or in person, please don't hesitate to reach out to discuss what that might look like. I know training budgets are tight, so a quote is absolutely not an obligation. We are currently booking into 2026. Evenings and weekends, split dates, are always available.
Happy Lunar New Year to those who celebrate. My first lifeguarding job at the University of Toronto, a substantial portion of the aquatics team was ethnically Chinese, so those celebrations and superstitions (don't cut your noodles!!!) have always stuck with me. I also love reading my annual horoscope because it's often not wrong.
If you found this newsletter helpful, please don't be shy to hit reply and let me know your comments on any of the topics I've shared. Or, forward this newsletter to a colleague who would benefit from subscribing. Every little bit helps.
See you next week!
Katie Crysdale
Lakeview Aquatic Consultants Ltd.