Ask a lifeguard: How to prevent children from drowning during the pool season

It is everyone's responsibility to watch the children in the pools, especially on days when the pool is crowded, says the head of the Quebec Lifesaving Society

. A boy from Montreal's Saint-Leonard neighborhood on Monday night

Raynald Hawkins, the company's executive director, said it's not just the responsibility of the lifeguard to ensure people's safety

. "When I'm a lifeguard, I can not supervise 50 clients or users at the same time."

When a lifeguard performs a visual scan of the pool looking for signs of difficulty, the lifeguard's head may be repressed while a drowning is in progress.

Hawkins said the drownings are silent and can occur between 15 and 20 seconds.For him, the general rule for parents is that if a child is not at hand, so the child is not safe.

Oliver Leiriao says that it's important that parents watch the children even with a lifeguard present. (Brian Lapuz / CBC)

Children Spread Out Faster

For Lifeguard Oliver Leiriao, 20 Years Old, Prevention The Best Tool for Preventing Accidents

"Si you see kids starting to catch it, it's usually a sign that something is wrong, "said Leiriao

" It's probably the scariest thing "

Children tend to run out faster than the average swimmer, said Leiriao, adding that he can easily spot those who are not comfortable in the water.

If you see children starting to grab – Oliver Leiriao, lifeguard

Even if a lifeguard was on duty the night of drowning, 40 to 50 children would have been in the pool

. is the minimum requirement defined by the Régie du bâtiment for pools of 150 s square meters or smaller. The same is true when there are 50 or fewer people in a facility.

"If you are one of the guards watching the water for an hour, you lose your concentration," said Leiriao

at the Westmount YMCA. Leiriao has been working for two years, the staff adds pool noodles and other flotation devices to give something to the kids.

Lifejackets and flotation devices are always a good idea for those who are not good swimmers.

Lifejackets and flotation devices are also available for the less experienced or swimmers likely to drown. Precautions need to be taken to make sure nothing happens because accidents happen all the time, "said Leiriao.

Before making any recommendations, the Lifesaving Society was waiting for the coroner's report and a report from the Régie du bâtiment to determine if something had gone wrong.