June 24, 2026: Cultus Lake, Camp Mystic, Emilie Kiser & Kitsilano Pool Updates

Greetings,

This week's newsletter is updates on big topics & themes we've been covering for the last year, so walk with me.

1) Cultus Lake Waterpark (BC)
Regarding last week's electrocution incident at Cultus Lake Waterpark in BC:

Initial probe finds 'electrical non-compliances' at B.C. water park where 12 kids shocked
As I said in my Certified Pool Operator (CPO) class this week, we don't know the extent (i.e. the number) of electrical non-compliances, and we don't know whether it's a specific product, application, installation, location, deterioration, etc. but this is definitely not good. To build on comments in the newsletter last week, I also should have added that it's not only objectively unqualified people installing electrical equipment, it's also the absence of routine safety checks or inspections.

I'm going on a 10,000KM road trip later this year, so naturally I scheduled the vehicle I intend to take for a full inspection at the car dealership. My husband was shocked to hear we need $5,000 worth of repairs, whereas my expectation was it's an 8 year-old car that recently rolled over 160,000KM and it hasn't been to a dealership for a full inspection (just routine oil changes & tire swaps at a drive-thru place) for almost three years.

Vehicles are no different from swimming pools: just because I can't "see" an issue, doesn't mean a serious one isn't developing! Preventative maintenance is expensive, time consuming, and often comes at inopportune times, but it's meant to mediate the pain of full replacement or worse. If I don't replacement the 3mm brake pads, we could have a serious incident no different from a swimming pool with any manner of potentially-dangerous equipment.

2) Camp Mystic (TX)
Regarding the drowning fatalities of 27 children at sleepover Camp Mystic in Texas during flash flooding in July 2025 (which I've previously discussed in newsletters here and here), the State of Texas has come out with their final report after the extensive emotional public inquiry.

REPORT ON THE CAMP MYSTIC FLOOD DISASTER OF JULY 4, 2025
I could write an entire newsletter on this 115-page report, but since this newsletter is already going to be a long one, I'll provide more commentary & context in this week's YouTube Live session.

Further, I really like this commentary from Rania Mankarious (apologies, only available on Instagram) regarding waivers and parental rights over minor children. This is a long-standing, thorny issue in recreation & aquatics; fatalities bring in a layer that I hadn't previously considered.

3) Kitsilano Pool (BC)
The famous Kitsilano outdoor pool on the coastline of Vancouver, British Columbia is still - allegedly- always empty. You might recall I'm not a fan of the Vancouver Parks Board or the operation of aquatic facilities in Vancouver in general right now. A few weeks ago, I talked about how the Mayor of Vancouver wanting free swim lessons is a mistake, and I've previously shared the disfunction regarding operations & the design of new facilities (the 50m vs 25m pool fiasco) in multiple other newsletters.

Jody Vance, a local Breakfast Television anchor and journalist continues to post footage (this started in 2025) of the Kits pool basically empty (only available on Instagram, sorry!) while alleging the pool is showing fully booked (at capacity) online. This is not headline-worthy news, but this is a really bad look a week before Canada Day and the unofficial start of summer. How many people are not getting the opportunity to swim if this isn't resolved again this summer?

4) Emilie Kiser (AZ)
Last summer, Trigg, the son of Emilie Kiser (a mommy influencer in Arizona) died in hospital from a non-fatal drowning in an unfenced outdoor residential swimming pool. I talked about the initial incident in this newsletter, spoke about her PR statement in this newsletter, and then had a genuine change of heart in this newsletter when I did a 180 and now see the impact of her advocacy.

Emilie Kiser EXCLUSIVE: The Loss That Changed Her Forever
I listened to Emilie Kiser's first public interview with Jay Shetty on his podcast "On Purpose" this week. I'm not a fan of Jay Shetty, but I wanted to see what Emilie said and whether or not it lines up with my statement recently that I was wrong and this will become her life's work.

This is an excellent interview (or excellent editing) where Emilie takes full responsibility ("we should have protected him; there were precautions we didn't take") whether or not she should even be accountable for the incident: she was at a restaurant away from the house less than 10 minutes before her husband called stating Trigg had drowned and wasn't breath; it was her first time going out since the birth of her second child.

Do not listen to this at work or if you're feeling sad and a big trigger/content warning for child loss, drowning fatality, etc. as Jay (interviewer) takes her right there in the first 15 minutes, including a provocative teaser intro before the episode starts.

Emilie acknowledges she has a huge platform on social media, but felt that a podcast was the right place to dive into the topic in a meaningful way with the intention to educate. Emilie is unequivocally clear she wants to help spread awareness and consistently speaks about Trigg (deceased son) in the present tense. She's also jumping on the bandwagon of acknowledging how dangerous it is to share children on social media, and has stated she will never ever reshare content about Trigg or her younger son, Teddy, ever again.

The only comment I want to make (without intending to sound accusatory) is the timeline explains so much in terms of possible parental supervision confusion during the handover and departure from home... no different from how Macauley Culkin gets left behind at Christmas during the movie Home Alone.

Note: I listened to the audio podcast; there's also a video version on YouTube.

Here's everything else going on in our industry. Because it's still summer in the Northern Hemisphere, it's been a busy week!

Sussex County lifeguards receive free skin cancer screenings
As someone who has chunks of skin cut out every year through regular skin cancer screenings, telling your team to "wear sunscreen" is not enough in my opinion and I'm really happy to see this type of initiative.

9-year-old boy dies during SwimRVA summer camp at Henrico pool: 'He was our everything'

Home manager fined £4k after two drowned on lake
This judgement is offensively low to the value of human life.

Family of teen who drowned at Riverchase Country Club awarded $7.5M by federal jury

As CPSC’s First Federal Neck Floats Safety Standard Takes Effect, Agency Renews “Do Not Use” Warnings for Otteroo LUMI and MINI Infant Neck Floats
Does creating a product standard for something most aquatic professionals hate to see actually solve the problem or exacerbate it?

Medicine Hatters coming to grips with death on field trip
With all due respect to the victim & their family, I've been a bit surprised at the impact of this incident on the the community; this is (sadly) a fairly-routine summer incident.

Investigation underway after 3-year-old drowns in home pool off Limestone Road
This is critical to reinforce with swim instructors & camp counsellors who may be reticent to reach between a child's legs for the bottom strap.

6 people arrested in connection with alleged vandalism of the Reflecting Pool, Trump says
I haven't been covering the reflecting pool drama because it doesn't really interest me. However, when your cousin's girlfriend asks you about it at a baseball game, you realize other people may also have questions.

To catch you up: a very old basin in Washington D.C. (the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool) was resurfaced with a coating, algae developed after the circulation system was restarted, the new surface coating started to flake, the basin was drained, and the pool is trying to be recovered, i.e. put back in service, before the spotlight on the nation's capital for America's 250th on July 4.

You know the saying if you hear hooves, assume horses and not zebras?

I'm not even an expert installer, but I would assume a compressed timeline is the culprit here, not necessarily operator or installer incompetency. If the the surface wasn't prepped or dried properly; if water wasn't drained/purged from the entire system (not just the basin); and attempts to kill invasive algae with harsh levels of chemicals were moderated to protect the recently-installed coating (i.e. selecting hydrogen peroxide over a strong cal hypo) OR the wrong algicide was selected AND a very old basin with a long/slow turnover wasn't given enough time to recover the water (because the customer is impatient), that's how we find ourselves in this mess.

Polyurea chosen material for D.C. renovation

Hydrogen Peroxide Poured Into Green Reflecting Pool After Trump’s $14 Million Renovation

Child drowns during World Cup watch party in El Segundo
You can't watch the soccer game and your child simultaneously.

Snap unveils $2,195 AR glasses as CEO Evan Spiegel bets on post-smartphone future

Court ends fight to build Miami Wilds water theme park

26 Lifeguard Enrichment Ideas for 2026

Worker dies after crane crashes into Alberta river
Throwback to my newsletter last year about the ongoing prevalence of workplace/industrial drowning fatalities, sadly.

Two California students swept out to sea and drowned while napping on beach

Martin County residents push to open high school pool for public swim education
I love to see an a referendum taking because it's actual action, not simply keyboard cowboys complaining on social media.

Weekend Birmingham pool party reignites debate over regulating short-term rentals
Regulation also allows enforcement agencies to have knowledge of where these sites are located for faster response times or general awareness.

Birmingham police apologize for slow response as new video surfaces of out-of-control pool party

Friends drown after one jumps into lake to save the other as he struggled in the water
This is always how it happens, unfortunately.

Calming the ripples of Pittsburgh’s segregated swimming history

3 New Swimming Pools Open At NYC High Schools: See Where
I hope these gorgeous swimming pools are also used outside of school hours.

More Employees Embrace ‘Microshifting,’ Carving Their Workday Into Chunks
Click here to read without a paywall. I've worked this way since 2018, and I cannot recommend it enough for those who are able to direct their schedule. I often work 6am - 1pm MST and then wrap up loose ends before/after dinner.

Boston Announces Grants Over $100,000 In Free Youth Swim Lessons, Kicks Off Summer Pool Season

Six city pools to open with enhanced safety measures, free swimming lessons offered
I suspect 300 spaces is barely going to scratch the surface, but kudos to the mayor for starting with a number of swim lessons that I would imagine is manageable for aquatic staff and administration.

We are skipping next week's newsletter (July 1) and will be back in your inbox on Wednesday, July 8. If that feels like a long time, keep your eyes on Instagram and YouTube where I'm trying to catch up on everything that's been happening!

I hope you get to enjoy some time off!

Katie Crysdale
Lakeview Aquatic Consultants Ltd.