August 23, 2024: are swimming pool assaults increasing?
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For the first time in over a decade, I decided to take a two week vacation in August. Crazy, right? I don't know about you, but normally the summer pool season is jam packed. This year? It's been so quiet since the Olympics started that I decided to get out of town. I've been posting on Instagram if you're interested in beach water safety or travel content. I'm also exceedingly grateful for friends with homes in nice places!
While away, I'm still in my inbox, and there have been so many usual news stories in the industry this week. Everything is linked below, but you can also expect some of these will crossover into future Aquatic Industry Insider videos.
One I recorded last week (unfortunately it's not up on YouTube yet) was a chat with a colleague regarding this article. She posited there's not been an actual increase assaults at pools, but increased reporting of these incidents. However, since I've been primed to this topic, I swear I'm seeing related headlines everywhere.
Man sentenced to 1 year for using underwater camera at public pool
This is a terrible situation, but it actually made me realize that I haven't seen any articles like this before? And that's surprising given the ease with which someone can order a waterproof phone case or submersible camera online. Does your facility have a photography or videography policy? If not, it's time to make sure something is in place as opposed to nothing.
Cameras, security added to Pittsburg pool after alleged sexual assault on 11-year-old girl
Content warning: this article is detailed and specific regarding the assault. Surveillance cameras and security personnel on the pool deck seem like a good idea, in principle, but they don't reflect that this action occurred in the water. I appreciate the municipality prioritized allocating resources to address this issue, but I'm not convinced the protocols provided would actually prevent a similar incident. Who - if anyone - will be watching this footage in live time?
Police charge woman who allegedly contaminated two Milton pools with feces, chocolate bars
I asked on Instagram if anyone has any details about these incidents because there has got to be a back story, right? It seems like a big escalation to charge someone with contaminating two pools (I'm assuming she was a repeat offender prior to these charges) and the combination of contaminants leaves me with more than answers if there's not a mental health issue at play.
RLSS UK teams up with Malibu and five-time Olympic medallist Tom Daley with new 'Don't Drink and Drown' campaign
In what I'm going to go on record as saying is THE BEST water safety campaign of 2024 in terms of effectively delivering a message, the Royal Life Saving Society UK has teamed up with Olympic diver Tom Daley & Malibu Rum to say Don't Drink & Dive.
If you haven't heard of Tom Daley, he is an accomplished platform diver who went viral during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics for his knitting. (I guess he couldn't hold a candle to Pommel Horse Guy Napping or Flavor Flav sponsoring US Water Polo during the 2024 Paris Olympics). As if that wasn't enough, it appears Tom knit his swimsuit himself as evidenced by the current auction to fundraise for the RLSS.
Designing a new community pool is no day at the beach
I love, love, love this op ed which truly highlights the complexity of good (commercial) swimming pool design. Yes, budget is important, but how a facility will be used by a given community determines the real success of the project, not whether it wins any design awards.
Inuvik expects swimming pool to reopen in fall
It is almost impossible to keep up with the saga of this relatively new indoor aquatic facility, but - suffice it to say - this northern community has barely had access to this pool during the last five years.
If you work in the pool programs space, we have two new videos on YouTube out regarding 1) the change to 15 for the National Lifeguard (NL) award and 2) why I think every facility should be offering early bird programming.
Lastly, this is a longer interview (a good one to play in the background of tedious admin work) with a woman whose son fatally drowned in a quarry in the UK. She's worked tirelessly over the last decade to change water safety education to include cold water shock, open water swimming risks and more in his memory.
We'll see you again next week!
Katie Crysdale
Lakeview Aquatic Consultants Ltd.