Parents and pools taking precaution after recent near-drowning scare
By: Romni DiJohn
Updated: June 9, 2012
Rock Solid Sports, which oversees Shreveport's public pools, is stepping up their game this summer, after the most recent drowning scare.
Nine-year-old Shelby Patrick was at a birthday party at East Ridge Country Club in Shreveport last Saturday. She nearly drowned when she was found at the bottom of the deep-end of the pool, not knowing how to swim.
Patrick is still in critical condition, but now awake and off the ventilator which was keeping her breathing up until this point.
Swimming lessons can mean the difference between life and death for your children at the pool this summer.
Shelley McMillan, director of Rock Solid Sports, says their phones have been ringing off the hook since Saturday, with parents asking to sign their kids up for swimming lessons.
"If nothing else, swimming lessons can be what pushes them past their fear of the water, which a lot of times is what results in drowning," said McMillan.
Rock Solid Sports runs around a 93% success rate for participants who take their swimming lessons. They're upping their staffing at their area pools this summer to prevent more drowning incidents from happening. The national requirement is 25 swimmers for every lifeguard. Rock Solid is taking on about 15 swimmers for every lifeguard.
"We've raised the number of guards at each swimming pool. We also train our guards to build relationships with people who come to the pool consistently. And we've brought in more experienced managers," said McMillan.
