September 6, 2024: all quiet on the Western Front
Happy Friday for those off work on Saturday & Sunday, and a big THANK YOU to those who work a different schedule to support evening & weekend aquatic/recreation staff.
I heard a podcast recently that talked about September 1 (after Labour Day) as the second biggest "New Year" opportunity, after January 1. It's time for a new school year, a new term of programs, a new opportunity to dust off those resolutions from nine (!) months ago, and close out the year strong. I've checked the intentions I set for 2024, and I'm on track for some, but mostly waaaay off track for others. How about you?
Nothing makes me more sad than a fatal drowning at a school-sponsored event or program. I think it's important to provide students access to swimming lessons or water experiences in school - particularly for those who may not have access in their home life as newcomers - as part of a comprehensive education, but how we do that requires a clear framework. And I don't think self-assessment tools are it.
School missed ‘red flag’ in drowned student Jaden Chhayrann’s swimming self-assessment form
New Zealand is a country with a lengthy coastline and robust swimming & water safety education program. However, like Canada, it's also a country with an outdoor water culture where a teenager may not feel comfortable disclosing he's not a competent swimmer amongst peers at school. Asking for information on a form is one thing, failing to analyze, use or implement it is completely another.
This situation reminded me of a big case in Ontario a few years ago ICYMI.
Toronto teacher found not guilty of negligence in teen student's drowning
I Was A 38-Year-Old Black Woman Who Couldn't Swim. Here's What Finally Got Me In The Pool
I love teaching adult swim lessons. Adult learners may come to lessons with deep-seated fears, and experience difficulty learning new techniques, but once they have decided to learn, they are extremely motivated.
As I've been virtually supporting a friend of friend over the last few years, I'm really starting to see a gap in our industry in how we frame and program adult swim lessons. Why are we promoting program outcomes such as "swim 200m freestyle" instead of "be comfortable in and around a 3m pool environment with your kids?" I think there's work we can all do in this area to update pedagogy for 2024 and beyond.
Barton Springs Pool closure extends for weeks due to critical 1940s pipe repair
I can't say kudos enough to the team at Barton Springs (Austin, Texas) who recently closed the basin due to a significant entrapment hazard. The best photos of the damage are in this article. Complicating matters further, this spring- fed pool (i.e. water is aggregated in a concrete structure; it's not chlorinated, recirculated or filtered) is home to a species of endangered salamander, meaning a federal U.S. Fish & Wildlife permit is required to conduct repairs.
NH State Beach Patrol: A Summer in the Sand
This is a lovely 30-minute documentary about the culture of one lifeguard team working in New Hampshire. It's a low lift watch in the best way possible because it's so nice to see strong aquatic relationships on screen. Bonus: there's a airplane crash rescue captured on film with no serious injuries.
American archaeologist drowns after Viking replica boat capsizes in Norway
There aren't a lot of details about this incident, but I'm going to suppose that historical accuracy precluded the precaution of modern lifejackets, and/or cold water shock was a significant factor.
I would also be remiss if I didn't mention there was a swimming pool electrocution in Logansport, Indiana a few weeks ago that I didn't cover anywhere on our channels. This is exactly the problem with Bill C-18 here in Canada: I would have shared the news story on our Facebook page in live time, but I couldn't find any "news" source with substantive reporting that wouldn't be blocked. Thankfully there are no reported deaths, just injuries, compared to Incident #1 and Incident #2 in Mexico earlier in 2024.
After a brief hiatus while traveling, I'm catching up on YouTube content, so stay tuned for a special feature next week about everything new and upcoming.
All the best.
Katie Crysdale
Lakeview Aquatic Consultants Ltd.