4-Year-Old Boy Drowns in Wave Pool at California Water Park

Those wave pools are dangerous. The waves can be really big and fast, especially in the moderate and deep end. I thought I was almost going to drown in one when was about 15 - and I was a good swimmer. I clung to the sides until the "waves" were over, but I was gagging / choking and wouldn't get back in. Still won't. I couldn't imagine being four years old and drowning in one... I won't even let my kids walk along the edge where the waves lap because those pools can be so scary. But those places are family oaisis' for fun - so they are made for little kids. They look safe, so people don't even think about it I bet. Next thing you know, your four year old is gone. So sad. Poor baby.
 
Tragic. Okay, where were the adults supervising the child?

You want my wild guess??? They weren't!!
Most likely they were assuming the lifeguard would be watching.
Typical.

I am amazed at how many parents think that when they go to a Theme park.
Like they all of a sudden think its ok to let their kids run free.

Truth be told the waves on those pools can be high but nowhere like the real thing in the ocean.
 
These types of pools in waterparks are extremely dangerous. I am a very strong swimmer and was in one of these in my mid 20's and I struggled staying afloat.

What the hell was a four year doing in one of them??? :furious:
 
These types of pools in waterparks are extremely dangerous. I am a very strong swimmer and was in one of these in my mid 20's and I struggled staying afloat.

What the hell was a four year doing in one of them??? :furious:

Better yet why was not he in a life jacket .I know they have them there. It is up to the parents to request one though.
 
Please don't take my next question wrong I am really sincerely just curious ....

To those of you who said you almost had mishaps in similar type pools..
What type of bodies of water were you use to swimming in? And about how long ago was the mishap?

I think in recent years these pools are safer and from the Article it says the park has not had a fatal accident in 8 years and that was not in the wave pool.
To me that is a darn good track record especially near any type of water.
 
This makes no sense at all. A 4 year old should be nowhere near a wave pool! I was in one when I was like 13 and thought I was going to die.
Where were his parents, and where was the life guard (not that I'm blaming them, just curious) and where were the people around this little boy that saw him struggling in there.
2:30 pm a wave pool in that big of a park would be filled with people.
2 feet of water is not the deep end at all. At 3, my son is 3.5 feet tall. Somebody must've seen him.
 
Please don't take my next question wrong I am really sincerely just curious ....

To those of you who said you almost had mishaps in similar type pools..
What type of bodies of water were you use to swimming in? And about how long ago was the mishap?

I think in recent years these pools are safer and from the Article it says the park has not had a fatal accident in 8 years and that was not in the wave pool.
To me that is a darn good track record especially near any type of water.

The one I went to was in Wisconsin Dells, about 10 years ago or so. I didn't die of course, but I struggled in the deep end to keep above the waves coming. Never swam in an ocean or anything, just ponds & pools. I like to think most people who can swim could atleast get to the edge and make their way back. A 4 year old can't do that.
 
This makes no sense at all. A 4 year old should be nowhere near a wave pool! I was in one when I was like 13 and thought I was going to die.
Where were his parents, and where was the life guard (not that I'm blaming them, just curious) and where were the people around this little boy that saw him struggling in there.
2:30 pm a wave pool in that big of a park would be filled with people.
2 feet of water is not the deep end at all. At 3, my son is 3.5 feet tall. Somebody must've seen him.

Dena, the article said he was found unconscious in 2 feet But I think he could have been much deeper and the wave carried him in.
I am blaming the parents as its their job to protect their child and clearly he was not being supervised.
 
Better yet why was not he in a life jacket .I know they have them there. It is up to the parents to request one though.
That is so true!
We took my brother, who was 13 at the time to a big park. Slides, the wave pool - the whole get out. This child has never learned to swim, and can't swim - I have tried to teach him (we have a pool). He's turning 16 this year. Only now can he doggie paddle. But anyway - I made him wear a lifejacket. He hated it. Even a lifeguard made fun of him - he was getting off on one of the slides, he had just been in the wave pool, and one of the guards said to him as he passed "don't drown" with this big, goofy grin on his face. Sure, he was making a joke and kidding. But I was PISSED. I went over and ripped him a new one, and then went to a manager. I don't know what happened to the kid, but that was way out of line. Even though my brother was a "big kid" he didn't know how to swim. He was GOING to be in a jacket as far as I was concerned. It was rude. Of course, a four year old is COMPLETELY different...
 
Dena, the article said he was found unconscious in 2 feet But I think he could have been much deeper and the wave carried him in.
I am blaming the parents as its their job to protect their child and clearly he was not being supervised.

That makes sense, I didn't think of that. This whole thing is tragic and preventable. Drowning is a horrible way to go. That poor baby must have been so scared.

I responded above to your original post.
 
From what I know the parents were not supervising, the kid could not swim and the parents did not request any floatation devices even though they are provided upon request from the park.

I hold them in the highest percentage of responsibility.

I hope they don't sue, but they will and with our stupid system, they'll probably win.
 
From what I know the parents were not supervising, the kid could not swim and the parents did not request any floatation devices even though they are provided upon request from the park.

I hold them in the highest percentage of responsibility.

I hope they don't sue, but they will and with our stupid system, they'll probably win.


I hope they don't either!

poor child! :(
 
It kills me to see parents not watching their children around water. A few weeks ago my family and I went to the pool and there weren't many of us there. A family with four adults and two babies, about 1 and 3, got into the shallow end. I was in about 5 ft of water when I saw the baby struggling to get his head above water. At first I thought that he was just going under like my kids like to do but then I saw that he couldn't regain his footing so I swam over and picked him up and he was coughing and sputtering water. I carried him over to one of the adults and she was like "Thanks, where was he at?" I was so pissed. I pointed to the water and said "Over there over his head!" She just laughted and told the boys mom "You are a bad mama your baby almost drowned." I couldn't believe that they didn't even seemed concerned.
 
Well when we went swimming at a Pool, we could only take two kids with us. But that is O.K. It was not a wave pool. But it was an outdoor pool. I am not a swimmer, hubby and oldest son is. Son had lessons as part of PE in school for 8 years. The rules that are posted are: You must be in the pool with your child under a specific age, 12 I think. You MUST be within arms length of the child. That means you supervise your child, you must be able to grab them within the length of your arm. There are of course life guards on duty, and if they see a child is not being supervised properly out you both go.

Water slide at Ontario Place. After you come down the slide, the water is not too deep, maybe at the most waist level. But the life guard is on duty, standing there, with a type of orange board. Alert and attentive.
 
Please don't take my next question wrong I am really sincerely just curious ....

To those of you who said you almost had mishaps in similar type pools..
What type of bodies of water were you use to swimming in? And about how long ago was the mishap?

I think in recent years these pools are safer and from the Article it says the park has not had a fatal accident in 8 years and that was not in the wave pool.
To me that is a darn good track record especially near any type of water.

Am - I was in my mid 20's (I'm in my late 30's now). My swimming experience is just pools, lakes and some swimming in fairly shallow beach water. These wave pools are made to simulate big ocean type waves and believe me they do. The one I was in is at Schlitterbahn in New Braunfels, Texas. I'm going to do my best to describe it. The wave part is actually attached to a beach/shore like swimming area (small children play here), you can swim out deeper into the wave part and be caught up in the continuous waves. I don't even know how deep the water is, but it's impossible for anyone to reach the bottom at the highest part.

I don't know exactly what the wave pool was in this situation, but if it was similiar, I'm wondering if this little boy was playing in the beach/shore part and wandered out a little too far and got caught up in the wave. If it's similiar to the one at Schlittlerbahn, then he could have been in there completely unnoticed by anyone. :( His parents should have been watching him closely and I do blame them for this. Yes, it's a tragic accident, but they should have had him in a life vest and never taken their eyes off him.

I hope I'm making sense. It's Friday afternoon and it's been a long week.
 
Am - I was in my mid 20's (I'm in my late 30's now). My swimming experience is just pools, lakes and some swimming in fairly shallow beach water. These wave pools are made to simulate big ocean type waves and believe me they do. The one I was in is at Schlitterbahn in New Braunfels, Texas. I'm going to do my best to describe it. The wave part is actually attached to a beach/shore like swimming area (small children play here), you can swim out deeper into the wave part and be caught up in the continuous waves. I don't even know how deep the water is, but it's impossible for anyone to reach the bottom at the highest part.

I don't know exactly what the wave pool was in this situation, but if it was similiar, I'm wondering if this little boy was playing in the beach/shore part and wandered out a little too far and got caught up in the wave. If it's similiar to the one at Schlittlerbahn, then he could have been in there completely unnoticed by anyone. :( His parents should have been watching him closely and I do blame them for this. Yes, it's a tragic accident, but they should have had him in a life vest and never taken their eyes off him.

I hope I'm making sense. It's Friday afternoon and it's been a long week.


New Mom I know they do!! That is why I asked what everyone's swimming experience was.
I have been raised in the ocean my entire life... I also live in Florida where we have MANY water theme parks with wave pools ...
I believe these pools need to have at the very least a warning to those not familiar with swimming in the Ocean as well as a mandatory vest wearing policy for children.
Just like boats do.
On the same token I believe that parents who leave their children unsupervised near water are morons.

I could easily see how someone who is a strong swimmer on a lake or pool would be at risk in an ocean or even a wave pool.
Unless you have experienced it (as you did Newmom) there is simply noway to be prepared for swimming in high waves if you never have.

Living on the ocean in one of the worlds largest tourist spots, it never ceases to amaze me the people who will let there kids play in OBVIOUSLY dangerous waves.
I mean most often you can tell these people have not seen an Ocean a day in their lives and they are seemingly lulled into some sense of security because of its picturesque quality with no awareness of the danger or any knowledge of water safety beyond that of a back yard pool.

One body of water is not the same as another.
 
New Mom I know they do!! That is why I asked what everyone's swimming experience was.
I have been raised in the ocean my entire life... I also live in Florida where we have MANY water theme parks with wave pools ...
I believe these pools need to have at the very least a warning to those not familiar with swimming in the Ocean as well as a mandatory vest wearing policy for children.
Just like boats do.
On the same token I believe that parents who leave their children unsupervised near water are morons.

I could easily see how someone who is a strong swimmer on a lake or pool would be at risk in an ocean or even a wave pool.
Unless you have experienced it (as you did Newmom) there is simply noway to be prepared for swimming in high waves if you never have.

Living on the ocean in one of the worlds largest tourist spots, it never ceases to amaze me the people who will let there kids play in OBVIOUSLY dangerous waves.
I mean most often you can tell these people have not seen an Ocean a day in their lives and they are seemingly lulled into some sense of security because of its picturesque quality with no awareness of the danger or any knowledge of water safety beyond that of a back yard pool.

One body of water is not the same as another.

I completely agree with you on all points!!! Not all water is the same and people need to be educated about that before they go to these water parks. I especially agree about parents who don't watch their children around water being morons. :furious::banghead:
 
New Mom I know they do!! That is why I asked what everyone's swimming experience was.
I have been raised in the ocean my entire life...

As a fellow Floridian (at least originally), I can only say: :clap:
 

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