Drowning in pop century hotel.

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Kobe!!

Well-Known Member
I'd like to clarify on this story from a reliable source who works at Pop that the boy did not "technically" drown but that he dove into the pool and hit his head. (which I guess you can say led him to drown?)

His 16 year old cousin was with him in the pool as well.
 

Ember

Well-Known Member
he dove into the pool and hit his head.

That was the first thing I thought of when I read about this, but all the news reports said he was surrounded by family and they didn't notice what happened so I thought there was no way they wouldn't see him diving head first into a shallow pool. But it stuck in my head because I know when I was young, probably about 14 (and not so wise in combination with feeling invincible), my friends and I used to dive into the shallow end in a way that our bellies would skim right across the bottom, but our heads didn't crush into the bottom. It's hard to explain. But anyway one of my friends didn't realize we had a technique on how we were doing it and simply dove headfirst into the pool and got knocked unconscious, broke her nose, it was bad. Luckily there were some older guys with us who were able to get her out and get her help. She was fine, but we weren't allowed to be unsupervised in the pool again until we were seniors in high school. It's really scary how fast these things happen. My thoughts are with him and his family and I hope he pulls through this.
 

RandomPrincess

Keep Moving Forward
That was the first thing I thought of when I read about this, but all the news reports said he was surrounded by family and they didn't notice what happened so I thought there was no way they wouldn't see him diving head first into a shallow pool. But it stuck in my head because I know when I was young, probably about 14 (and not so wise in combination with feeling invincible), my friends and I used to dive into the shallow end in a way that our bellies would skim right across the bottom, but our heads didn't crush into the bottom. It's hard to explain. But anyway one of my friends didn't realize we had a technique on how we were doing it and simply dove headfirst into the pool and got knocked unconscious, broke her nose, it was bad. Luckily there were some older guys with us who were able to get her out and get her help. She was fine, but we weren't allowed to be unsupervised in the pool again until we were seniors in high school. It's really scary how fast these things happen. My thoughts are with him and his family and I hope he pulls through this.
We used to play the same kind of games. I think it's common. You don't think of how dangerous it is when you are young.
 

luv

Well-Known Member
My brother dove in and knocked his teeth out. Kids being kids, it turned into him having his jaw fall off, having been decapitated, lol. The whole neighborhood stopped trying to dive in the shallow end when the lifeguards weren't looking, lol. Even when everyone knew he was fine, they'd learned the lesson vicariously.

But he could have died. Could have snapped his neck. Anything. It happens just likethat.

Typical kid behavior.
 

luv

Well-Known Member
And they get a key fact completely wrong - "pools at Disney themed resorts do not have lifeguards". When in-fact Disney have one of the best, if not the best, lifeguard program in the world.
I caught that, too. And the pic they used shows not one, but two lifeguards at a pool with a handful of people in it.

...another one that calls Kramerica "a witness." I wish one of them would use the name "Kramerica."
 

Mrsdonaldduck

Well-Known Member
I'd like to clarify on this story from a reliable source who works at Pop that the boy did not "technically" drown but that he dove into the pool and hit his head. (which I guess you can say led him to drown?)

His 16 year old cousin was with him in the pool as well.
Thank you for the update.... Praying for this boy and his family...
 

DrewmanS

Well-Known Member
I've never understood this. The cost to disney to have just one lifeguard be there for a couple more hours is chump change to them.

You can't have just one life guard. To properly staff a pool, you need multiple life guards who can constantly scan all areas of the pool and have additional guards available for breaks. You either fully staff the pool or have swim-at-your-own-risk. I am sure Disney has done extensive studies on average pool usage by day of year and time of day. They use this information to determine how many life guards they need and work schedules. But on any given day, the air temperature might be above average or a large group from a cold climate creates a situation where a large number of people are in the pool after life guard hours. So, Disney posts those hours in which the pool will be fully staffed. At most pools, you can swim after hours at your own risk.
 

Kramerica

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
I wish they'd atleast mention my name if they're going to copy and paste me. Oh well. Trivial thing to worry about at this point.

I've noticed all the life guards are no longer sitting in their chairs at all. But rather walking back and fourth.
 

Wisconsin

Active Member
When you're at POP there is conflicting info about when the pools are "open". The little folder you get when you check in lists open hours, but at night the sandwich boards by the pools just ask guests to keep the noise down (suggesting that it's OK to swim). Maybe it would be better to just list the lifeguard hours? Consistently in all places (printed hand outs, signs)?
 

George

Liker of Things
The boy and his family are in my prayers.

That was the first thing I thought of when I read about this, but all the news reports said he was surrounded by family and they didn't notice what happened so I thought there was no way they wouldn't see him diving head first into a shallow pool. But it stuck in my head because I know when I was young, probably about 14 (and not so wise in combination with feeling invincible), my friends and I used to dive into the shallow end in a way that our bellies would skim right across the bottom, but our heads didn't crush into the bottom. It's hard to explain. But anyway one of my friends didn't realize we had a technique on how we were doing it and simply dove headfirst into the pool and got knocked unconscious, broke her nose, it was bad. Luckily there were some older guys with us who were able to get her out and get her help. She was fine, but we weren't allowed to be unsupervised in the pool again until we were seniors in high school. It's really scary how fast these things happen. My thoughts are with him and his family and I hope he pulls through this.

I did that until one time I hit my chest on the bottom, it collapsed my lungs and I surfaced and for several seconds couldn't breath. I was standing next to my aunt, trying desperately to breath. She still remembers that, it was scary for both of us.
 

R W B

Well-Known Member
When I was about 6-7 yrs old my neighbors son who was in high school then dove head first into a pool and I believe broke his neck, all I remember is he had a "halo" screwed into his head and shoulders to keep everything straight. He was in that contraption for about 6 months. When your 6 yrs old, that thing looked very scary lol. Kept me from ever diving head first into a pool even til this day.
 

Gabe1

Ivory Tower Squabble EST 2011. WINDMILL SURVIVOR
You can't have just one life guard. To properly staff a pool, you need multiple life guards who can constantly scan all areas of the pool and have additional guards available for breaks. You either fully staff the pool or have swim-at-your-own-risk. I am sure Disney has done extensive studies on average pool usage by day of year and time of day. They use this information to determine how many life guards they need and work schedules. But on any given day, the air temperature might be above average or a large group from a cold climate creates a situation where a large number of people are in the pool after life guard hours. So, Disney posts those hours in which the pool will be fully staffed. At most pools, you can swim after hours at your own risk.

Ellis, the training system that Disney contracts with has a formula for type of pool and zones, maximum area of sight lines for guards, blind spots, like behind where a slide hits water, water features in pool, like an island along with the capacity of the pool, which also varies during the seasons as would the lifeguard count. Ellis is 20 minutes on one stand, rotate stands and totally off stands for 20 minutes after an hours, guards can have a 20 minute break, which is what my DD's pool does or they can be sent to tidy up a rest room, change garage liners, pick up water bottle, etc.
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Boy, ever feel like pieces of the puzzle are missing, that is where I am with...he dove, hit his head and nobody in pool noticed. Would make more sense with the serious to critical, being a brain injury over near drowning. Brain bleeds are real touch and go, often they induce coma's too. And so true, my competition swimmers were taught sternly never to dive down, you push off and lunge forward.

It has been many years since we did late night pool dips, now it is generally a quick dip in the hot tub, but the main pool use to close at midnight or 1am depending on season and then the quiet pools were open all night at your own risk always. This was at Dixie/POR. We always dipped in the pool with the kids late at night 'cause they could melt the days slime away and then shower in morning. I highly doubt this will change the protocol of swimming at Disney at night or early morning. A few years back a man passed in the pool at Boardwalk.

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Gabe1

Ivory Tower Squabble EST 2011. WINDMILL SURVIVOR
When you're at POP there is conflicting info about when the pools are "open". The little folder you get when you check in lists open hours, but at night the sandwich boards by the pools just ask guests to keep the noise down (suggesting that it's OK to swim). Maybe it would be better to just list the lifeguard hours? Consistently in all places (printed hand outs, signs)?

I know at POR the pool was always marked with the hours the pool was guarded.

Take a look at POR, if you zoom you can see notice on guard stand that no life guard is on duty, and pool clearly marked no diving.
http://www.portorleans.org/ol-man-island.php
 

PhotoDave219

Well-Known Member
I'd like to clarify on this story from a reliable source who works at Pop that the boy did not "technically" drown but that he dove into the pool and hit his head. (which I guess you can say led him to drown?)

His 16 year old cousin was with him in the pool as well.

Its the fog of breaking news. Trying to report on these things that happen in places where the news isnt welcome means you're stuck relying on background sources as well as whatever eyewitnesses are willing to talk about it.

That being said, it is generally best for the big company to get the story out at the beginning and get in front of it to keep the speculation to a minimum. (IMO)

Thoughts and prayers to the family.
 

DizFiz

Well-Known Member
My thoughts and prayers are with families affected by this incident. So sad to think a family vacation cam turn into a disaster within minutes.... no family should never have to go through something like this ever.
 
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