May 16, 2025: Oceana Fire Investigation
Good Afternoon,
I normally put my "thank you for being here!" at the end of this newsletter, but - after seeing a major aquatic industry newsletter say this week they're going to basically start paying cash (!) for hundreds of newsletter signup referrals in a lottery - I want to be clear: as much as I would love this newsletter to have hundreds more subscribers, I am here to make this newsletter meaningful for those of you who are here. Space in your inbox is at a premium, and I never take that for granted!
Rather than come up with subscriber schemes, perhaps a better use of time would be asking why people don't want to subscribe to - or read - your newsletter in the first place? What value are you bringing people when newsletters are a dime a dozen and few provide more than free face time for sponsors? #endsoapbox
As promised on Instagram, I'm here to chat about an excellent presentation I heard about Oceana Water World, a new water park in Gothenburg, Sweden that caught fire in 2024, resulting in the death of one person and injuring a dozen more. This was a free-to-members webinar as part of IAAPA's May is Safety Month.
As a quick aside, I've found tremendous value being part of IAAPA. The membership is affordable, and resources included - not just the Expo each November - are truly excellent. You can watch all webinars going back almost 10 years in the portal for free.
The Swedish project manager did not beat around the bush: the owners allege subcontractors of WhiteWater West's water slide installation team are completely responsible for this fire ($115m Euros of damage and counting) due to unsupervised hot work. "We will likely sue them for compensation after we get through this project together; we are all playing nice now. We are very confident they are responsible." 🫣
You can download a complete English translation of the Swedish Accident Investigation Report here.
As I was listening to this presentation, I immediately went back to March 2017 when my own municipal pool caught on fire due to - wait for it - unsupervised hot work on the roof. We were very lucky: an RCMP officer driving past our municipal pool ran into the building to say the roof was on fire. We had a full pool of bathers & staff and no fire suppression system over that part of my building. We literally evacuated dripping wet people out into -15 Celsius snowy winter.
That experience has continued to inform a lot of my thoughts on aquatic facility emergency response planning. My takeaways from that incident are also strikingly similar to the conclusions the team at Liseberg (owner of Oceana) has come to:
1) Check the credentials of your contractors and their subcontractors to confirm there will be a consistent and systematic work environment.
2) Serious dangers can occur even during the final finishing stages of a project.
3) Understand your insurance: project/construction insurance is different from operating insurance versus owner's general liability insurance. What are the caps, especially if you are expanding the site beyond what you currently have?
4) The experience of a crisis is not defined by the crisis, but by how it is handled. The explosion was sensationalized by the media, but in that fireball someone died at work. Many things were done well in the aftermath, but the incident still shouldn't have happened in the first place.
This week's news in our industry -
Edmonton may sell naming rights to pools, arenas and even Commonwealth Stadium
This was something that was very new to me when I moved to Alberta from Ontario in 2013, but now that I've seen the amount of money it can add to annual operating budgets, I'm all in favour. Hat tip to Judy Haber, the naming consultant I enjoy following on LinkedIn, for posting this story. She's amazing at what she does!
Municipal Guide to Promising and Best Practices for Disability Inclusion in Recreation and Physical Activity
This resource provides ‘how-to’ practices for staff at all levels in municipal recreation departments to make sure people with disabilities are included in their programs and activities. Available in both English & French.
Perfect Day Mexico
Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines provided more details on their latest project coming in 2027. You don't have to be interested in cruising to pay attention to what this hospitality brand is doing with private destinations, including what will be the (new) tallest water slides in North America and the longest lazy river in the world. Their partner, Martin Aquatic & Design Group, does truly phenomenal work.
Three-year old son of American TikToker drowns, is in critical condition
The child in this incident has not been substantiated, but the rumor on the internet is too hard to ignore.
Florida Atlantic University’s Center for Autism and Related Disabilities (CARD) has released a free manual titled “Autism Water Safety and Drowning Prevention Resources.”
Aging pool to become new sensory room: Area special needs school seeks project donations
One of the more unique pool repurposings I've seen.
‘He was a sweetheart’: Wichita first-grader dies after drowning at hotel pool
"Wilson said her son was supposed to be cared for at the home of a family member while she worked a double shift at her job. She said her son was not supposed to be at the hotel pool. She said a close friend picked her son up from the family member’s house without her knowledge."
Victoria YMCA/YWCA moving into Bay Centre, will not have pool, gymnasium or racquet courts
Two of Victoria, BC's pools will be closed simultaneously, leaving the community with significantly less programmable pool space.
Water park where 11-year-old girl drowned had no deep water warnings, inquest hears and 'Cloudy water' at park where girl died - inquest
This one keeps getting worse and worse as the inquest progresses....
Olympian Who Nearly Drowned During Competition Is Thriving Now, with a New Chapter as Air Force Recruit (Exclusive)
Many of you will recognize the photo of the artistic (synchronized) swimmer sinking during her routine during competition a few years ago and rescued by her coach.
Lifesaving courses in teen's memory 'bring joy'
A swimming coach in Nigeria provides inspiration and life lessons to disabled people
Free swimming classes and equipment help improve water safety across Metro Detroit
Florida family pushes for pool safety reform after daughter's drowning death
The family of 5-year-old Thamar Esperance is calling for stricter pool safety laws after she drowned in an unfenced construction-site pool in Apopka in 2021.
Bill would require water safety education for Michigan students
Thank you again!
Katie Crysdale
Lakeview Aquatic Consultants Ltd.