In the aftermath of the drowning of nine-year-old Ranjan, a class IV student of PSBB School, safety aspects at swimming pools have come into question.
“It is hard to imagine how one coach can manage 26 children in a pool at a time. Ideally, there should be a coach for every five to seven students because his line of vision will be limited to five metres. Also, two lifeguards in uniform must monitor the entire pool,” said T. Elango, a coach and owner of V.V. Swimming Pool.
If the children are just beginners then each of them should be coached individually with care, he said.
There are other aspects of safety that requires attention, Mr. Elango pointed out. For instance, there should be lifebuoys and a rope, and the depth of the pool should be clearly indicated on the pool walls. Also, only if the water is clear, can the coach see if a child drowns.
“For clear water, the right amount of chlorine must be added and water should be tested every two months,” he said. When the depth varies from three to seven feet, it is difficult to make out if a child drowns if clarity is poor, he said.It is not always the case that only a beginner drowns, said a swimming coach. “Even good swimmers get tired and when they do, they are also susceptible to drowning,” he said.
In such cases, the coach or the lifeguard must press the victim’s stomach to pump out the water, give cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) or chest compressions, and mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, he said. For this, he must undergo first-aid training provided by some agencies especially for coaches.
Some schools which are equipped with swimming pools and give regular coaching to their students say utmost care has to be taken while handling children in water.
“We ensure there are only five to six students in the pool at a time. Two coaches and four lifeguards are always on duty,” said Sarah Selvakumari, vice principal of Maharishi International Residential School.
Keywords: PSBB Senior Secondary School, accident, swimming
Take strict action against this School management-they charge so much of Fees- don't
respect parents -quality is deteriorating- Only Brand name- our hearty condolences to the
bereaved family
if only one coach was appointed or shortage of coach was there then the authorities are also answerabile to the incident.the coach can get some linency if this is the case,also while accepting the job of a coach the coach must accept only number of students which he can take careof.
I am not used to swimming being compulsory in schools.It is just a nice to have skill. My rule has been - I have to be present at the poolside when my child is in it, especially when they are that young. Not because I know swimming, but can notice and get immediate help in case my child has a problem. Now a child is gone. The parents are now left guessing, trusting what other people tell you happened. They have to live with the despair of now knowing For Sure what Really happened - purely accidental, negligence,... Our heartfelt condolences to the family ! May God be with them !
I pray to God, to give Monohar's family the required strength to withstand the non-replaceable loss. May master Ranjan's soul rest in peace. I still strongly believe that the Indian law and judiciary is capable of punishing the careless school management. Their carelessness to ensure safety of the young children is very obvious in this tragic event.
There is a "2 second rule" in US swimming schools. The life guard / coach should not look away from a student for more than a maximum of 2 seconds (this can lead to fatal accidents). I am not sure if such standards are there in Indian schools.
Please Email the Editor