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.
