Lack Of Aquatic Safety Signage Causes Diving Accident

Case Overview

This case involves a 12-year-old girl who visited a local beach. She walked out to the end of a jetty that was adjacent to a designated swimming area and dove head first into the water. The water was too shallow for diving and the girl hit her head. As a result of the impact, the girl became paraplegic. The young girl assumed the water was deep enough to dive because there were no signs anywhere indicating shallow water or prohibiting diving. An expert in aquatic safety was sought to review this case and opine on proper safety protocol and warnings that could have prevented this accident from occurring.

Questions to the Occupational Health and Safety expert and their responses

Please briefly describe your experience with the above subject matter.

I have served on the board of directors for a national drowning prevention association advocating for drowning and aquatic injury prevention. I have been a firefighter and EMT for 40+ years and currently train fire, rescue, EMS, and law enforcement personnel as water rescue instructors. I have written and published several articles on the prevention and management of aquatic spinal injuries. I have conducted training nationally, as well as internationally on this subject.

Can you speak to the required signage and/or safety protocol that should be in place to prevent diving into shallow water?

Besides fatal and non-fatal submersion incidents, diving accidents are the most significant aquatic-related injuries that can occur at an aquatic facility. These tragic incidents can easily be prevented through the placement of signage, the erection of barriers, and public education.

About the expert

This expert has a company dedicated to drowning and aquatic injury prevention and emergency management. In that regard, they develop educational curricula in Lifeguard Operations and Management, Aquatics Safety and Drowning Prevention, Water Rescue, Swiftwater Rescue, and Ice Rescue, and conduct this training both nationally and internationally for the Public Safety and Rescue, as well as the Lifeguard and Aquatic Recreation Sectors. In addition, this expert serves on the Board of Directors for the National Drowning Prevention Alliance, as well as on Advisory Committees for the International Swimming Hall of Fame and the American Red Cross. He is also a member of the United States Lifesaving Association and the National Water Safety Congress. This expert has written and published over 40 articles, and has served as a subject matter expert on numerous occasions for NBC's Today Show; MSNBC News; CNN; ABC's Good Morning America; CBS' Early Show; The Weather Channel; The Discovery Channel; and The History Channel. Prior to starting his safety consulting company, this expert was employed by the American Red Cross for 14 years as a Health and Safety Services Professional, during which time, was responsible for training and supervising Water Safety and Lifeguard Instructors and Instructor Trainers, including for the states of New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Texas, and 1.5 years of that time was working for National Headquarters in Washington, D.C.

E-008835

Specialties:

Occupational Health and Safety