Student drowns on class trip

[Stitchfans]

only 10 years old. so sad!

[LuvOrlando]

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[agnes!]

My sympathies to the family & friends of the little boy. Here's his picture:



Kind of scary that there were 20-25 students in the pool area AND 12 chaperones AND 2 teachers...that's more than a 2-1 ratio of adults/children.

Originally Posted by LuvOrlando

... I would, however, recommend a buddy system with the restrooms because there are many many teens roaming around who take day bus trips without adults.... JMO

My rule when chaperoning on school trips and in Girl Scouts was "3(or however many were in the small-group) go in? Then 3 *better* come out."

We had always emphasized this but all it took, on an overnight camping-trip, was for one little Brownie to get left behind at the bathroom by some careless friends (what made it really scary for her is that it was after dark)...
NEVER *ever* happened again in any group I had responsibility for.

agnes!

[MrsPete]

Originally Posted by Minnie824

Thats so sad.

See, as a parent, I may be one of the few, but at 5th grade I don't think the kids need to be going out of town or overnights or anything like that on fields trips. I don't even like it at high school age. Its just not needed.

I agree.

Church groups, scout groups -- those are smaller in number, and the kids know their leaders better. That's a different story. The supervision is better -- or, if it's not better, the parents should be involved enough to recognize it. But school groups are just too large and too disorganized, while the number of teachers available to chaperone is too small. I don't know why schools have decided in the last couple years that they "should" offer overnight field trips.

My daughters' middle school tends to take an excessive number of trips -- some overnight, some quite expensive -- and I have not been impressed with the numbers of supervising adults. I've said no a couple times, and she's thought it was awfully unfair.

[Jynohn]

This thread makes me so sad. My son's teammate drowned while they were at football camp in Maine two years ago. I'll never forget getting the phone call, my husband and I were at Disney at the time.

Prayers for this poor boy's family and all of his classmates.

[yoopermom]

Thanks, Agnes, for posting the pic, look at that sweet face

This got me to thinking, DS's school a few years back changed their Mackinac Island trip into a "one day" trip. They leave at 4 a.m. and don't get home until midnight, but at least they're not sleeping/swimming somewhere in a situation that could go bad. They take a charter bus, so everyone is comfortable and can sleep on it, too.

Terri

[OceanAnnie]

Terribly sad.

[Luv2Scrap]

That is absolutely heartbreaking! My son's 5th grade class did an end of the year trip to a lake last year. I was really uncomfortable with it being in a lake as opposed to a pool, but I realize that even a pool can be dangerous.

there was an incident here a year or so ago that a couple families were partying at a hotel pool and one of their very young children drowned right in front of them. I just don't understand how that can happen. I barely even took my eyes off my son while he was in swim lessons!

[Geoff_M]

Originally Posted by agnes!

Kind of scary that there were 20-25 students in the pool area AND 12 chaperones AND 2 teachers...that's more than a 2-1 ratio of adults/children.

We had a student drown here a couple three years ago at the end-of-the-year pool party at one of our middle school pools. There were two classes of 5th graders, IIRC, swimming at the pool while teachers, some parent chaperons AND certified lifeguards supervised the party. Unfortunately, one boy slipped underwater unnoticed and laid there for several minutes before he was spotted. Police investigation determined that the supervision was in place at the time, there was not excessive "horseplay" involved, the pool was under its swimmer capacity, and proper procedures were being followed. It was a terrible accident.

In addition to the family of the child, keep the teachers and parents in mind too. The lifeguards in the above case were high-schoolers and my wife knows the family of one of them. Their child had to deal with a lot of emotional problems due to the fact that they internalized a lot of "guilt" that the boy's death was "their fault" even though they had been cleared by the investigation.

[C.Ann]

So sad.. Every parents worse nightmare..

[bumbershoot]

So sad...

Originally Posted by Minnie824

...but at 5th grade I don't think the kids need to be going out of town or overnights or anything like that on fields trips. I don't even like it at high school age. Its just not needed.

Originally Posted by MrsPete

I don't know why schools have decided in the last couple years that they "should" offer overnight field trips.

FWIW back in the 70s our elementary school (and surrounding ones as well) had a big week (I think) camp for the 5th graders. It's still going on now, as far as I know. We slept in cabins, we hiked, played...I'm sure we swam though I have no memory of it. It was a very fun experience and quite a big deal in that you knew in 5th grade you'd go, and you looked forward to it growing up.

Of course, it's different for me to think of my 5th grade experience, vs thinking of sending DS off somewhere when he's 10.

[luvmy3]

How awful. My heart goes out to his family.

My dd has a class trip planned for Monday and they will be using the pool. I was already a nervous wreck, I really shouldn't have opened this thread

[ClarabelleCowFan]

He is adorable. What a tragedy!

[hrh_disney_queen]

That is so tragic. Everyone is going to be affected by this, I hope there are counselors at the school to help. Looking at that boy's empty desk is going to be heartbreaking.

I let my DS11 go on his first overnight away from us a few weeks ago. It was an overnight to WDW, arriving at Epcot around noon for the rest of the night, then sleeping at an offsite hotel, going back to spend the entire day at AK. Then on the bus at 5 and home at 10. This was a perfect way for us to start this away from home process. The student to chaperone ratio was 4/1, they were never ever allowed to go anywhere alone, no "meet you back here in 30 minutes" stuff. They all had to sleep together and do everything together in their small group. They were not allowed to swim, they didn't have time anyway, but it was stressed in the handouts there would be no swimming. (That doesn't count the drenching they got in the parks-it rained A LOT!)

The school does this every year for the outgoing 5th graders. I didn't want him to go at first, in fact tried to talk him out of it several times. But he really wanted to go. And after the meetings with the teachers and tour group, I felt comfortable and confident with the school, parents,. and tour group taking care of my son for one night. I don't think I would have wanted him away for longer than that. BTW, he had a ball...they all did. There were two tour buses-both full.

[hentob]

Originally Posted by LuvOrlando

If it makes you feel any better, I've been to Dorney Park many, many times and can tell you the lifeguards watching over the water areas are extremely vigilant. They stand over the pool area and do not hesitate to intervene if rough housing of any kind goes on in the water.

With that being said, there has been a drowning death at Dorney in the past

I worked there years ago and these lifeguards are just kids themselves...getting paid a low wage.

Dorney's Wild Water Kingdom is PACKED with children that are bussed in day after day. Many of these kids are not able to swim, yet there parents let them come and do the water park

I would NOT rely on any lifeguard. I would make sure my child was a VERY strong swimmer before I sent him/her on a swim trip without me. Even then, I would not be sure I would allow them to go

Those poor parents