Millhouse

Two British sports coaches are to stand trial in Dubai over the death of a five-year-old boy who drowned in a roof top pool
*Michael Smith, 31, and Steven John, 22, to go on trial after boy, five, died
*They are two of five people charged with mistakenly causing child's death
*Benjamin Van Din Bergi drowned in swimming pool at school in Dubai
*Happened during swimming class run by Active Sports Academy

Two British sports coaches are to stand trial in Dubai over the death of a five-year-old boy who drowned in a roof top pool | Daily Mail Online

DXBtoDOH

The two coaches at the scene are being charged. That I can understand (no comment or judgment, just saying I can understand why they are being charged).

But the other three who were not there? Including the school's managing director? What is the justification for charging them?

I remember having swimming lessons at that age. My mum was there the entire time. All the mums hung around watching and waiting for us.

Millhouse

I've been to a couple of events run by them. They were always really well organised, and always one or two people in the pool at anytime. This is pretty unfortunate. The parents were always watching the pool too. Maybe there is more to it.

The two at the scene is understandable - you'd hope that would happen in the UK, the other two don't really make sense but these things happen.

My thoughts do go the family, terrible time for them.

Boomhauer

I remember in the 80s I was (7 or 8 years old) in the Choueifat swimming pool and could not swim so was thrashing around; the British coach dove in -clothes and all- and pulled me out.

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I am having a really hard time understanding why no one dove in to save the child.

al dente

Similar situation happened at a swimming lesson at a country club here about 7 years ago. The lesson had finished but afterwards the mother went to the loo, it was only when she came back they discovered him at the bottom of the pool. Luckily he was revived.

al dente

And another time, at our compund pool, the lesson had finished and the mother was texting. I was 8 months pregnant and saw this girl just sinking in the deep end as she had joined in with the neighbour's kids. i dived in fully dressed (at 8 moths pregnant) to get her.

Kim67

Pool safety in Dubai is appalling. I remember the when we moved into our first compound (which was still being landscaped out the back) and I asked the maintenance guys when the pool fences were going in, he just looked at me as if I was crazy. I soon learned that pool fencing and parents watching their kids in the pool were non existent. Families would send their kids to have a swim with the supervision of maids that couldn't swim.

scrubbedexpat141

It's really not obvious when a kid is drowning. There's no screaming, no huge thrashing about a lot of the time either. The most common trait is that they'll look like they're climbing a ladder. Bolt upright, going up and under, gasping and likely unable to shout for help.

The Mrs pulls kids out the pool at school regularly. There will be several teachers and helpers on the side, a few teachers in the pool and all the kids sat on the side...oh and a lifeguard. Only takes a second for one to disappear.

Because of that I cast no judgement on any school or group who are doing their best with lots of people watching and being attentive because kids are so far from learning what's safe and not that it takes a genuine change in mental attitude to remember that they'll do what you would never expect a sane adult to do because they know no better.

Millhouse

Yeh, OK - usual shambles, but there was always 3 people in the pool, people watching and a life guard. No new races until everyone out etc.

I wonder if the kid had already banged their head before going in.

Bahtatboy

In my view it makes consistent sense to charge both those directly involved and those responsible for ensuring that H&S is managed properly. If the coaches were not provided with the proper training, resources or procedures, then those responsible are to blame: ultimately, that's the MD. Same in any business.

iggle

I disagree. You can't plan and think for everything. We are only human.

Millhouse

...but you can be responsible.

scrubbedexpat141

Wouldn't 'accountable' be more applicable?

Bahtatboy

No: that's what the parents paid their money for and could reasonably expect to receive: where childern's lives are involved you do plan and think for everything.

Where there's a situation involving money and lives (as is the case here), then it's entirely reasonable that an investigation is made into a) the procedures and planning done, and the resources made available to implement them, in order to avoid such and incident, and b) the adherence by those involved to those procedures. If any of those was lacking, then that identifies accountability.

You may have seen in the press last week, in UK, about two directors jailed as a consequence of their failing to ensure that adequate H&S measures were in place. As you should know the construction industry is a dangerous place, and those in charge have a responsibility to manage risk properly. When a proper investigation of causality is done, its rare to find that it was something which couldn't have been planned for or thought about. Its difficult to legislate for stupidity, but plans (risk assessments) must be made, procedures drawn up and implemented, resources made available, training provided, and so on. You can't elminate risk, but you can minimise it.

iggle

What happens if all the H&S procedures are are in place, everyone one trained to the max, every rule / consequence was thought of and followed...you can't fail safe everything.