Woman neglects obligatory supervision Pool supervisor gets mother and child removed from public pool

EUSKIRCHEN · A mother has not watched her child in a swimming pool, and refused to do so even after being informed of her duty of supervision. A pool supervisor had her and the child removed from the premises.

A mother has not watched her child in a swimming pool, and refused to do so even after being informed of her duty of supervision. A pool supervisor had her and the child removed from the premises, a public open air pool in Euskirchen.

Members of the Euskirchen police force reacted on Wednesday afternoon after being called by the pool supervisor Thomas Wierum and removed a mother with her child from the Waldfreibad at the Steinbachtalsperre.

The mother had refused to follow instructions to comply with her obligatory supervision. Wierum, as pool manager, described the incident to the General-Anzeiger. He had watched the child being unsupervised for an extended length of time, in the non-swimmer area of the pool.

„The child kept paddling like a dog, trying to reach the edge of the pool, which isn’t easy due to the current caused by the slide.“ Indeed, the child had an inflatable swimming aid, remembers Wierum, „but if that gets punched, one drowns so much quicker than imaginable“.

When the pool supervisor found the mother, he informed her of her duty of supervision: „But she replied I should do my job and refrain from interfering with the education of her child, and send her child back into the water.“ It did not occur to her to also enter the water. „The woman said I would only send her into the water so I could see her in a bikini.“

He added: „Of course she doesn’t have to go with her child, but then she should at least take her child to the paddling pool area, where the child would be able to stand in the water.“ Incidents like this don’t always end in a harmless way. Quite exactly two years ago, there was a dramatic incident in the Melbbad in Euskirchen.

Only thanks to the vigilance of the pool supervisor a six-year-old boy could be saved. The pool manager had noticed the lifeless body in the non-swimmer area and had taken life-saving measures immediately. But pool supervisors sometimes can’t prevent the worst happening. According to a recent Forsa survey, every second primary school child is not able to swim.

The German Life Saving Association (DLRG) says, it is an illusion to believe that a child with the first of the swimming badges („Seepferdchen“) is capable to swim safely. Michael Oberbeckmann, head of the DLRG Oberpleis, warns of letting ten-year-olds to the public open air pools by themselves and relying on the pool managers to watch over them: „With such large attendance that’s practically impossible.“

The house and bathing rules generally regulates the duty of supervision, also in Bonn. But the federal city has established a few further rules. If visitors do not comply, they can be asked to leave the pool grounds. The pool management can issue a long-term order to be barred.

„Children who have not yet turned eight, are only allowed to attend a pool in the company of an adult, who is obliged to permanently watch the child and has the responsibility for the safety of the child,“ states the city council. Generally speaking: Who is not (yet) a good swimmer, won’t be able to rescue him- or herself. The strength of untrained swimmers fades much quicker and they more easily panic.

Last year, 537 people drowned in Germany, according to the DLRG - a sad high over the past ten years. Thomas Hierum is aware of that and will not forget the incident in the Euskirchen pool quickly: „I have not experienced such an unreasonableness in 30 years.“ Original text: ga (with dpa-material)Translation: Mareike Graepel

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