A birthday celebration turned into a tragedy at an exclusive Houston area fitness club on Sunday, August 25, 2024, when the body of a 7-year-old girl was recovered from the main resort-style pool. The girl was rushed to Texas Children’s Hospital but did not survive. The Houston police department has not concluded its investigation into what appears to be an accidental drowning. The incident occurred sometime between 3:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m.
The Club
Located at 1200 Wilcrest Drive, just north of the Missouri City and Sugar Land, Club Westside is a members-only club that seems more like an amusement park. The club boasts 3 pools and a “state-of-the-art waterpark” including over 1,000 feet of lazy river and three high-speed vortex slides. The three pools include an adult-only pool, a lap pool, and the resort pool—where the party was taking place.
Lifeguards on Duty
According to the rules posted on the club’s website, lifeguards are on duty from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Sundays. According to a witness obtained by ABC 13 News, two lifeguards were allegedly “on duty” at the time of the accidental drowning. However, all this begs the question of how this tragedy was allowed to happen. How did a young girl go unnoticed long enough to drown without anyone seeing her go under?
What Are the Lifeguards Duties?
Lifeguards have a very important job, especially when there are many children in the area. Accidental drowning is the number one cause of death in children ages 1-4 according to the CDC. Sadly, it is also a risk for people of any age. Thus, lifeguards must be properly trained to keep an eye on all parties around a pool of all ages.
When lifeguards go through training, they are taught not just how to swim and perform a rescue, but also how to monitor the entire pool constantly to prevent a drowning event before it even starts. When the pool is large, like the one in question, it is critical not only that there be multiple lifeguards but also that they be trained on who is responsible for constantly scanning each area to avoid pool accidents. They should know where the key danger zones are including the following:
- Areas where the depth drops off,
- Areas designated for diving boards or slides, and;
- Areas where there may be blind spots to the usual lifeguard positions such as under the lifeguard stand itself.
In addition to monitoring danger zones and areas, lifeguards must be aware of where children are at all times in the event they wander away from a parent or group of adults. When a lifeguard lets his or her guard down, tragedy can strike in seconds.
Duties of the Club
Any club with a waterpark like the one in question needs to evaluate the dangers from an amusement park liability standpoint and provide training so that lifeguards are prepared to anticipate and prevent all potential types of pool accidents or drownings that are foreseeable. They must provide an adequate number of employees to take shifts and not leave lifeguards exhausted or overburdened. In cases like these, lifeguarding experts can evaluate the facilities and offer the organizations a plan with details on how many lifeguards are required and where to position them for optimum coverage to prevent accidents and subsequent liability for pool accidents.
What to Do When Tragedy Strikes
When a tragedy of this nature strikes, an accident-drowning lawyer can help you find the right experts to investigate and evaluate whether the club could have prevented the incident. There are legal standards that the clubs and their lifeguards must follow. Call Simmons and Fletcher, P.C., for a free consultation if your loved one drowns on someone else’s watch.
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