A close call, that could have been far worse.

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[Mandi]

We went to the pool today.

You already know what I'm going to say.

I almost lost my 4yo to drowning.

Another kid pushed him into the pool without his life jacket, while we were getting ready to leave and because of a large fountain, which obstructs both sound and sight neither I nor 5 other moms heard A THING.  Not a yell, not a peep.  The child who pushed him (7ish) never thought twice, didn't say a word till after all was said and done.

I looked up to do the customary head count while getting things together to leave, and noticed he was no where in sight. 

HE WAS FLOATING AT THE OTHER END OF THE POOL.  Chest up, lips below the surface.  I sort of just want to scream that bad place scream.  I'm supposed to be up here on line looking for pleasant things to distract me from the mental image, but as if.  I'm an obsessor.  I've cried about it for a good hour or so, but it's not doing much for me. 

I dove over about 6 other people the second I caught sight of blue trunks.  Didn't think or bother, and thank the gods above and below that I didn't.  He wasn't breathing.  It was like all of those terrible commercials, and paramedic shows.  I can't get it out of my minds eye.

I got him out of the water, and with about ten seconds of coaxing was able to get him breathing again.  He came to screaming "help me, help me"  It took a few minutes for the screaming to wear off.

After throwing up a few times, being sacked out with a towel, and having enough food stuffed in him to feed a horse he seems alright.  I'm still hovering like a hawk, with hourly pulse checks, (it was just before 5pm central) keeping him awake (hey, who knows?) rubbing his hands and feet and keeping him warm.  He's starting to get his vigor back, but his color was bad for the first hour.

He asked me who "Christine" is.  I asked him where he met her and he told me "at the new house"  I asked him what Christine looks like and he couldn't tell me anything besides that she was little like he is.  I asked him what the new house looked like and all he could tell me was that he had never been there before.  We have never met a Christine in this world who is his age/ size.  I think she kept him alive until I got to him.

I almost lost my boy today. 

The second I got home, I wrote a letter to our neighborhood association regarding the obstacle to both sound and sight - a giant mushroom fountain, that gives off enough noise that you cannot have a conversation when five feet from it, and blocks your view of the entire pool from the seating area.  I WANT THAT THING GONE!

I will petition against the neighborhood if I have to.  I will go door to door with my kid and his story because the next person might not be so lucky. 

This is another of the same fountain.  Not the same one, but same model.  Note that it is in a pool which does not go over 1ft.  The pool we were at is 4ft. deep.

http://www.audifaz.com/52/hongo.jpg

My letter... (brushy creek is a local park with similar fountains)
-----------

To whom it may concern.

For the first time, my family - my two children ages 4 and 6 went to the Avery Ranch pool closest to Rutledge elementary school.

Through the first hand experience of nearly loosing my youngest son to drowning, I do not hesitate to inform you that the water mushroom at the pool is not only dangerous but has the potential to be deadly.

Another child pushed my four year old son into the deeper section of the pool, where because of the noise of the falling water, NO ONE, of out of 5 parents, heard my child's screams for help as he went under.  Only because I keep close watch on my children did I notice that my youngest son was missing.

By the time I got to him, he was not breathing.  We were able to get him out of the water and get the water out of his airways in the nick of time.  A few seconds more??

There is no justifiable reason to have such a high volume white noise in a pool that is meant for beginning swimmers.  It could have been a child of any age.  Should this mushroom remain in operation, we can anticipate many more such incidents.

Brushy creek makes use of these large water toys in an area where there is no water of depths over a child's' head.  This removes the risk.  The noise is not a risk, or an obstacle to effectively supervising children.

In the Avery Ranch pool, the mushroom is not only an auditory screen but a visual one, as well and has no business being in a 4 foot pool.  When the mushroom is in operation, the falling water acts as a screen from behind which the rest of the pool cannot be seen.

I beg you, either permanently shut off this death fountain, or remove it; before another mother goes through what I went through today - or far worse.

It would be terrible publicity for the entire neighborhood were Avery Ranch to become "that development where somebody's baby died"  especially with this pool being so close to the elementary school.

There are many mom's in Avery Ranch.  If this hazard is to remain, there should at the very least be warning notices visible in the pool area, stating that there is a known hazard, due to the sound and sight barrier created by the mushroom. 

[Aisling]

I almost lost my boy today. 

The second I got home, I wrote a letter to our neighborhood association regarding the obstacle to both sound and sight - a giant mushroom fountain, that gives off enough noise that you cannot have a conversation when five feet from it, and blocks your view of the entire pool from the seating area.  I WANT THAT THING GONE!

Oh gods!  {hugs to both of you}  Thankfully he had someone watching over him until you get to him. 

I cannot believe someone designed a pool for kids that poorly.  Get rid of that thing before anyone else's child is harmed!

[HeartShadow - Cutethulhu]

We went to the pool today.

You already know what I'm going to say.

I almost lost my 4yo to drowning.

Thank gods it's "almost".

and yeah, that mushroom sounds INSANE.  gods.  I'm so glad you rescued him in time.

[Purplewitch]

We went to the pool today.

You already know what I'm going to say.

{{{mandi}}}

Holy cow...

[Sparrow]

We went to the pool today.

You already know what I'm going to say.

I almost lost my 4yo to drowning.

What a horrible thing to experience. I am so glad he  is alright.

[Mandi]

Thank gods it's "almost".

and yeah, that mushroom sounds INSANE.  gods.  I'm so glad you rescued him in time.

He seems okay.  I'm keeping a close eye on him for the next 48 hours, cause I guess even in near miss cases, there's something called secondary drowning that can happen up to 72 hours later from having small amounts of water in the lungs, and getting infected.  I'm not quite sure how it works, just that I spent pretty much every five minutes checking on him for most of the night.

The mushrooms gotta go.  I'm waiting not so patiently for the association to acknowledge my e-mail.

I'm still for the most part mentally not okay.  Can't really shake it.  Trying to get it together to actually do something today, but I'm just sort of drained and bummed.  Even when you do get there in time it's hard not to obsess over the fact that it happened.

[HeartShadow - Cutethulhu]

He seems okay.  I'm keeping a close eye on him for the next 48 hours, cause I guess even in near miss cases, there's something called secondary drowning that can happen up to 72 hours later from having small amounts of water in the lungs, and getting infected.  I'm not quite sure how it works, just that I spent pretty much every five minutes checking on him for most of the night.

The mushrooms gotta go.  I'm waiting not so patiently for the association to acknowledge my e-mail.

I'm still for the most part mentally not okay.  Can't really shake it.  Trying to get it together to actually do something today, but I'm just sort of drained and bummed.  Even when you do get there in time it's hard not to obsess over the fact that it happened.

I was freaked out for three days when swuggy just had a dislocated SHOULDER.

You're allowed to be in panic crisis mode.  Gods.  I would probably have torn the damn thing out with my fingernails.

If they don't respond, call the news and give your story.  lots of tears, lots of hugging your kid, lots of "I don't want this to happen to anyone else".

[Tirah]

I almost lost my 4yo to drowning.

My heart goes out to you!  I'm glad he's doing better!

[Mandi]

{{{mandi}}}

Holy cow...

When the boy confessed to "bumping into" boomer, (my little guy) he turned and adamantly said he was pushed.  It took him awhile to be able to identify the kid who pushed him.  Only the kids admission identified him. 

I couldn't exactly tear the kid a new one, although dear sweet gawds I was tempted to.  I just stammered in disbelief; 'you.. pushed.. him...' about three times before I pulled it together enough to commend him for his bravery coming forward and admitting to something so serious. 

At that point my 6yo looks at the kid in disbelief and said "you pushed my brother" and the look in his eyes was dark.  Even after everything that had just happened, I put my arm in front of Bubba and pushed him backwards a couple steps.  He looked like he was going to jump on the kid.  I've never seen that look out of B before.

Boomer is able to recall, and talk about the entire process, right up to the point where he 'went to sleep' and then I woke him up.  In his words.  Talking about it later, he mentioned that his *friend* doesn't want him to talk about it.  I'm not quite sure what to chalk this up to, only that 'she' has our thanks. 

I suppose it's all for the better if he forgets since, it could otherwise be pretty terrifying for him in the long run.

:shivers:

[Mandi]

I was freaked out for three days when swuggy just had a dislocated SHOULDER.

You're allowed to be in panic crisis mode.  Gods.  I would probably have torn the damn thing out with my fingernails.

If they don't respond, call the news and give your story.  lots of tears, lots of hugging your kid, lots of "I don't want this to happen to anyone else".

Awesome idea.  I would have never thought of that. 

Tearing things up was out of the question.  I was struggling not to either pass out or fall apart. 

[LyricFox]

We went to the pool today.

You already know what I'm going to say.

I almost lost my 4yo to drowning.

(((Mandi)))

[Ocelot]

We went to the pool today.

You already know what I'm going to say.

I almost lost my 4yo to drowning.

OMG, thank gods, he's ok. What a horrible experience. 

[Purplewitch]

If they don't respond, call the news and give your story.  lots of tears, lots of hugging your kid, lots of "I don't want this to happen to anyone else".

I'm with Shad there. Sometimes there's no such thing as making too much noise about something. I'd call this one of those times.

He'll probably be over it long before you are.

[Dania]

My gods...

I'm really glad he is OK. You are BOTH very lucky!

And I agree with PurpleWitch, I'm sure he'll be over it before you are.

[Ana]

We went to the pool today.

You already know what I'm going to say.

I almost lost my 4yo to drowning.

Mandi- I don't know what to say except I'm glad he's ok.  I don't know what I'd do if I ever lost my son.  Whoever Christine was, I'm thankful that she stayed with your son until you got to him.

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