An internal review disclosed that staff encountered various obstacles, including a malfunctioning radio, delayed 911 call, and difficulty activating an emergency alarm, when they found an unconscious 14-year-old boy at the bottom of a city pool last year. Adam Sereda-Paul was discovered unconscious in the deep end of the Cindy Klassen Recreation Complex pool around 4:38 p.m. on April 1 and later pronounced dead in the hospital.
A post-incident analysis conducted by the city’s recreation services division in October detailed the sequence of events, conditions, and employee statements related to Adam’s drowning incident. The report, provided by Adam’s mother, Cindy Paul, highlighted that despite three lifeguards being present at the facility during the incident, only one was stationed on the pool’s deck. The analysis pointed out the lack of clear guidelines regarding the required number of lifeguards on duty at different city pool facilities.
The lifeguard who discovered Adam in the pool mentioned not using the handheld radio after the incident and experiencing difficulties activating the emergency alarm. Furthermore, the analysis revealed uncertainties among staff regarding procedural variances for adults and children in utilizing automated external defibrillators and performing CPR correctly.
Following the incident, the review recommended personalized retraining for the four staff members involved in the emergency response. Additionally, it suggested several improvements to training protocols and procedures at city pools, such as regular radio testing at the start of shifts, defining lifeguard requirements per pool deck, and reinforcing emergency response practices.
The family of Adam expressed satisfaction with the city’s subsequent actions, which included increasing the minimum lifeguard presence on deck to two individuals at Cindy Klassen and similar pools. The city also conducted equipment testing, retrained lifeguards in emergency procedures, and engaged the Lifesaving Society of Manitoba for assessing guarding processes and training.
Despite acknowledging the changes, Adam’s family criticized the city for not proactively reaching out to them and described the implemented measures as overdue basics. They emphasized that the improvements should have been in place earlier to prevent tragic incidents like Adam’s drowning.
