my dilemma

hi,

if a toddler jumps in a swimming pool, unsupervised by their parent, whose fault is the inevitable drowning? The kid? The parent? The owner of the pool? God?

I work at the NAC (Newtown Athletic Center) as a swim instructor. I love my job. I only teach private lessons to people, from 7 months old to 70 years old. I've been able to get them all comfortable and moving in the water to the best of their ability. I make my own hours, arrange my own schedual, enjoy the accomplishments of the learning process for each student and take great pride when they have the 'ah-ha' moment of seeing that they can swim by themselves. One less potentially drowned person on the plant in my books.

Tuesday morning I was at my job with one of my favorite 4 year old swimmers. Jordyn is pure delight to teach and be with every week. We were using the small therapy pool. It's kept at 92° so the little ones like it better than swimming in the big pool at 82°. There was a second teacher with 2 students sharing the pool with us, no problem, we know how to keep out of each others way in the small space. There was also a father/daughter team.... and there began the problem.

Dad was trying to teach his daughter to swim, she was about 2½ years old. Good idea to start young, I applaud his efforts. He couldn't have cared less that Cynthia and I were trying to teach small kids as well in the same place. We would stick to one side of the pool, he'd have his daughter jump into the middle of where we were. I tried going to the 7' deep end, he ended up in my way. We bobbed and weaved around this moron for 20 minutes. He never did clue into the concept of staying in one corner and not crashing into Cynthia or me. There is also a spectator who was some relation to the dad/kid combo. A huge lard-ass of a woman sitting on the wall bench, making the occasional cooing comment at the little girl. I'm trying to focus on my student and stay away from this dad/daughter issue as best I can. Cynthias' class ends and she is taking a break in the pool office, relieved to be away from the pesky father.

Suddenly, dad has to pee. He proudly announces it and jumps out of the pool. He takes his daughter out of the water and places her on the pool deck, near the 'Jaba-the-Hut' lady who seems to know them. Not in her arms, or even close enough for the woman to reach the kid, and leaves the pool to do his business. Out of the corner of my eye I see the little girl spin around, bee-line to the pool and jump in by herself. She is not in a flotation device, dad is peeing in a bathroom, large lady hasn't even reacted to this turn of events as the kid sinks into the water.... holy shit Batman! The whole thing happens in seconds.

I parked my student by the side of the pool. She was riding a swimming noodle and good enough as a swimmer to be unattended for a few minutes. I dove under water, grabbed the little girl off the bottom and hauled her out of the pool in one swoop. Amazing what strength you get from an adrenaline rush. Dad re-emerged from the bathroom in time to find a crying kid, the woman is still sitting on her fat ass, and I'm swearing a blue streak under my breath at this dumb jerk of a parent. The woman starts to babble about "how she couldn't catch her fast enough before she jumped in on her own" (she never even batted an eye but I bet she moves pretty quick at the Chinese lunch buffet). Dad had the courtesy to say 'thank you' in my direction but I don't think he realized how close he was to calling a funeral home that day and burying his baby.

I finished my lesson and found my boss, the aquatic director, upstairs as I was leaving. I told him what happened. There was no life guard on duty (there rarely is, budget cut-backs) and that I wanted a raise and danger pay for having to deal with stupid people like this... just as the dad, kid and fat lady come around the corner. Daddy is asking his daughter "if she had a good swim today..." ASK ME YOU JERK! My heart is still pounding from getting your child off the bottom of the pool. Did I have a good swim day? Hell no! I do not want to play "Bay Watch at the NAC". I do not have the slow-motion bouncy boobs or flowing blond tresses to do this job. I wanted to punch the S.O.B. for being such a stupid parent. If that kids lives to be an adult I'll be amazed.

Back to my dilemma... who is at fault? Good thing I don't have to live with that on my conscience. I know how to swim.

xox
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