Drowning in Blame, part II

Wave pools are apparently finding themselves to be quite a hazard, as a couple of recent waterpark drownings were due to wave pools. And as someone commented on my previous post, it can be fairly difficult to keep a child at arm's length when you're being pushed back and forth by those waves. (It's also fairly difficult to keep an eye on a small child who is curious about everything, like my niece, but that's for another blog).

The last time I rode the wave pool, I was surprised by 1. how deep the water was, and 2. how rocky the water was. While I understood that the point was to mimic the actual ocean, nonetheless I was still concerned - lifeguards can actually see people drowning under all those inner tubes, packs of people and moving water? Even I couldn't keep track of my companion, whose inner tube kept floating off in another direction.

Here's where I think humans have reached their fullest capabilities and technology needs to step in. Underwater cameras that alert lifeguards to a motionless body at the bottom of a pool can only be a good thing (unless the body keeps moving with the waves). Handing out lifevests to all children and adults who can't swim is another good option. And going with your child into the pool, rather than sit in a lounge chair, can give you a better view of him or her, even if you get separated.