another child drowns on a cruise ship

[griffy116]

We've always traveled as an extended, large family on vacation and over the years have had several children on cruises and in the pool. We always have several adults watching the children, both in and out of the water with them. We've seen parents yell to siblings to watch their brothers and sisters as they head to the bar or to have lunch. We always have someone watch those kids, knowing that no one is there, should one of them get in trouble. I would never leave any of ours unsupervised. A drowning can happen too easily. My daughters grew up with a pool our back yard, and they were both excellent swimmers but were never allowed near the pool as children without adult supervision.

[Hflors]

Heck, I have seen kids allowed to play in the pool while their parents go off to do something else! :eek: Such bad parenting should be severely punished. :mad:

 

My dh and called security when we saw three children. one was about 4 the next one was maybe 6 the oldest was about 9. The 9 year old was holding the 4 year's head under the water and ignored me when I yelled at him, he couldn't understand me because he didn't speak English. Anyway after about 5 minutes security came and took all three away. The parents weren't even in the pool area!!! We never saw the children again, but we also consoled ourselves that we did the right thing in our intervention.

[boating girl]

I was at a pool complex yesterday at a RV park with a bar and snack bar. We watched a whole group of 6 children who looked 4-7 swimming and playing. Kept watching to see who had eyes on them. After about 10 minutes, a young woman came in the gate and walked over to them. She had her beer in hand and came from the bar. There was no lifeguard. That's one of the way children drown. What are people thinking?

[MSN-Travelers]

I was at a pool complex yesterday at a RV park with a bar and snack bar. We watched a whole group of 6 children who looked 4-7 swimming and playing. Kept watching to see who had eyes on them. After about 10 minutes, a young woman came in the gate and walked over to them. She had her beer in hand and came from the bar. There was no lifeguard. That's one of the way children drown. What are people thinking?

 

EVERYBODY KNOWS nothing bad can ever happen when you are on vacation.

Edited May 24, 2015 by MSN-Travelers

[DKane]

Really!!!! At what point did the parent(s) lose responsibility for their child? Do you think cruise contract language will somehow make parents pay more attention to what their children are doing?

 

Every death is a tragedy and having it happen "on vacation" doesn't make any worse. The linked article doesn't provide enough information for a rational discussion but the first thing that came to mind . . . Where were the parents ?

 

Really. They lose responsibility when they are sitting around the pool drinking, not watching their kids, as is the case with the kid my husband pulled out of the pool. Hey, I am all for partying, but some people think the "fairies" are watching over their kids while they party. People let their guard down when they are on vacation, that's for sure. My post was in NO WAY intended for the recent drowning on the Norwegian ship. REALLY!!

 

As for the language in the CRUISE CONTRACT, it was said facetiously.:mad:

[SantaFeFan]

Really. They lose responsibility when they are sitting around the pool drinking, not watching their kids

 

I disagree. They do not "lose responsibility" for their children. They are ALWAYS responsible for their children until they are adults. Unfortunately, some parents, like the ones we are discussing, IGNORE that responsibility. But they still have it.

Edited May 26, 2015 by SantaFeFan

[DKane]

I disagree. They do not "lose responsibility" for their children. They are ALWAYS responsible for their children until they are adults. Unfortunately, some parents, like the ones we are discussing, IGNORE that responsibility. But they still have it.

 

Yes, they are ALWAYS RESPONSIBLE but when they are drinking, some of them lose their sense of it and don't find it again 'til they sober up.

[LA_CA_GAL]

I think some language should be added to the cruise contract which states that you are responsible if your child should drown in the ship's pool.

 

Something like "Parents are not permitted to allow their children to drown in the pool?".

 

They could also add "do not let your children fall off the ship."

[Velvetwater]

I can remember being in a hotel pool in Turkey in the 00s as a teen and I was stood in the middle of the pool with just my head above the surface as it was the deep end (I was and still am pretty tall). I felt a pair of hands grasp my shoulders and turned round to see a small girl (4 at the oldest) looking a bit tired I asked her where mummy or daddy were and she said they were 'asleep'. I was glad she had enough swimming ability to move but it was obvious she had ran out of breath and swam out of her depth and her family hadn't noticed.I said I would take her to the steps and walked with her to the shallow end and the steps. As I got there a relative of some sorts grabbed her hand looked at me and walked off telling her how naughty she was.

 

I was practically thrown in the water from 6 months by my ocean loving family and given swimming lessons. It is shocking to see how many children cannot swim. Fellow teachers tell me about the year 4s that go swimming and many start without any knowledge (these are 8-9 year olds).

[navybankerteacher]

Something like "Parents are not permitted to allow their children to drown in the pool?".

 

They could also add "do not let your children fall off the ship."

 

Good suggestion - it is hard to cure stupid or irresponsible, but worth a try. Sort of like the warning printed on rotary lawn mowers that they are not designed to be used as hedge trimmers.

[mzloolue]

 

I was practically thrown in the water from 6 months by my ocean loving family and given swimming lessons. It is shocking to see how many children cannot swim. Fellow teachers tell me about the year 4s that go swimming and many start without any knowledge (these are 8-9 year olds).

 

They are probably like my kids were.

We do not live near any beaches or lakes and had no access to any pools.

So the kids did not have much experience with swimming.

 

I think that people think that since there are usually a lot of people near the pool that someone will pull the kid out if he starts thrashing around.

But people can drown really quietly.

 

I remember standing in a pool when I was about 12.

The water was about chest high on me.

I looked down and there was a kid down there.

At first I thought he was playing around, but then I realized that he was not and pulled him up..

I remember the look of panic on his face as he was under the water struggling to get to the surface.