November 29, 2024: a veritable pool-pourri of news
Happy Friday friends, and a belated Thanksgiving to our US poolies.
To make up for the dearth of news last week, this week was BUSY. My inbox exploded! It wasn't matching my mood to wind down before my birthday and a few weeks of vacation, but here we are.
CrossFit Games announce changes to safety measures after Lazar Ðukić's drowning
Some of you might recall this terrible incident where an athlete drowning during an open water swim in Texas. I covered it in this newsletter and a YouTube discussion with lifeguards who specialize in adventure races. CrossFit commissioned a third-party investigation, but won't actually release the full report. Some athletes are saying the planned changes won't meaningfully impact athlete safety.
Judge allows Birch Bay Waterslides injury suit to continue; county added to list of defendants (free once, paywalled after second click)
The lawsuit is not what's interesting to me, but rather the photos of the location where the slide failed. From a waterslide specialist I sent the article to: "There are some signs that the slides are not designed and produced to today’s industry standards...take a look at the slide extensions in the curves at the beginning of the slide, then compare to the extensions in the curves in the bottom half. See the difference?"
Woman accused in girl's drowning was under house arrest
Horrific new details have emerged in the drowning of a child at a lake west of Edmonton. Note: viewers may find the contents of the video disturbing.
Dartmouth sorority, 2 fraternity members charged in death of student found in river
I'm following this case closely because I am wondering if it will create a precedent similar to serving alcohol to guests who go on to become drunk drivers. It is not known yet if hazing was a factor.
Activists applaud Calgary city council's decision to revive beleaguered Inglewood pool
I once had a troll on the Lakeview Facebook page tell me I'm heartless and don't understand how important aquatics/recreation is for communities. 🙄 What gets me with these stories is - as a rate/taxpayer and former municipal employee - the resources (time & money) wasted by administration & council going back and forth on a decision that has already been finalized and implemented, but becomes so emotional in the media that a loud minority can't see the proverbial forest for the trees.
The decision to close Inglewood pool was not only because it's at the end of its lifespan, and it's financially irresponsible to keep operating it, but also because there was very limited usage by the community, thereby justifying the reallocation of resources to other aquatic facilities and recreation projects. A quick glance at this Reddit page shows how few non-pool people understand this. It's frustrating for those of us who live and breathe this work every day!
Women less likely to receive CPR because people ‘worry about touching breasts’
This is a great time to mention Prestan's new female CPR manikin that came out earlier this year (there's also a bra option to retrofit existing manikins). Prestan offers different skin tones and, in my opinion, the most realistic chest compression experience I've ever found as a first aid instructor.
I recorded a chat with my friend Dave Ling this week about these news stories (below). Look for that on our YouTube channel before Christmas along with my recap of IAAPA Expo coming next week.
University of Alberta To Cut Swimming Programs At End of 2024-25 Season
Adam Peaty interview: No child needs to wake up at 4am for swimming – it should be banned
Displaced athletes cannot wait for Aquarena's long-running renovations to wrap up next spring
I will be traveling over the next few weeks, but newsletters letter will continue uninterrupted until Friday, December 20 (we'll skip December 27 & January 3).
Katie Crysdale
Lakeview Aquatic Consultants Ltd.