March 22, 2024: Swim Reaper safety study

The goal with these news roundups is to do what I used to do on our Facebook page: showcase specific stories and provide commentary as to why these stories matter for our industry or might be relevant to the work you do.

School made epileptic teen swim in P.E. despite warnings, suit says. Then she drowned
This is the most upsetting drowning fatality I've heard in a long time. Alaina Dildine was found underwater by a student from the next class (after hers was over), days after her mother emailed the school asking for her to be excused from physical education class at the pool due to a medical condition. “Forcing a student with a known seizure disorder into a swimming pool with no lifeguard and no written safety rules, policies or procedures, and then failing to supervise that student, resulted in (Alaina Dildine) being left at the bottom of the pool for 53 minutes,” the lawsuit said.

University Recreation to Offer a Free Week of Membership to Faculty and Staff
Aquatic and recreation facilities are always asking me how they can reach new users, and this is a prime example where giving away a free pass or membership for a short period of time can have an excellent return on investment. Yes, there may be a short-term cost, but the long-term gains are probably more substantial.

Lake Michigan rescue equipment bill signed into law
Why exactly don't all public lakes and waterfront areas have rescue equipment? I'm looking at you in particular, San Antonio Riverwalk. This Indiana bill will require rescue equipment per every 1/4 mile of lakefront after 23 people reported drowned in Lake Michigan in 2023, making it the deadliest of the five Great Lakes.

The effect of the 'Swim Reaper' program on water safety awareness, drowning mortality and morbidity among male
Are you familiar with the Swim Reaper? This viral account on Instagram and YouTube was a water safety campaign from 2016 - 2022. This study looks at what impact it had on drowning rates in males 15-34 in New Zealand.

Deer breaks into LaSalle rec centre
Sometimes you just can't make up these headlines: a deer recently broke into a Windsor, Ontario community pool in the midst of swimming lessons and jumped into the deep end. Glass from the broken window resulted in the pool being closed for cleanup.

Do you have a plan in place for broken glass in your pool? If not, check out this article I wrote for PoolPro magazine as well as this interview on YouTube.

Thanks so much for being here.

Katie Crysdale
Lakeview Aquatic Consultants Ltd.