Lifeguards save child at Aquatic Centre
News
Posted By Greg Vandermeulen
Updated 1 month ago
Tragedy was narrowly averted at the Altona Pool on Sunday after lifeguards spotted a girl floating face down. Two senior lifeguards performed CPR on the unconscious girl while a first responder who happened to be on the scene assisted by coaching them. The girl was taken to Altona Hospital and then transferred to Winnipeg. According to unofficial reports, the girl has been released and has recovered.
The girl was visiting from Winnipeg with her parents when the incident occurred in the nearly full pool.
Recreation services manager Ron Epp said they were just short of the full capacity which is 379. He said lifeguards did everything right. "I'm very proud of our staff," he said. "They followed policy and procedures, performed CPR, and saved a life."
Epp had already met with staff who were on the scene and was planning to meet with all the staff on July 28. The incident happened around 1:30 p.m. but Epp said he didn't allow staff to just go back to work. "I purposely did not let them open right away," he said.
Instead Epp told all the staff who were working at the time that they could take the rest of the day off, and he would call in other staff to take their places.
Epp said they understand an event like that can be traumatic. "It brings home a reminder to my staff of the seriousness of their job," he said. The pool reopened at 5 p.m.
Staff did debriefings and had the option of seeing a counsellor.
