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Judge calls for changes after boy drowned in Edmonton pool

Judge calls for changes after boy drowned in Edmonton pool

An Edmonton judge says more changes are needed to protect children in swimming pools following the death of a seven-year-old boy.

A fatality inquiry report says there have been several improvements based on earlier investigations into the drowning at O'Leary Leisure Centre in July 2012.

But provincial court Judge Renee Cochard has made six further recommendations, including one that children under eight years old wear brightly coloured wristbands in city pools, as well as life-jackets, until they can pass a swim test.

The judge also wants the province to fund a swimming survival program for Grade 4 students and to require all foster and group homes to have swimming policies.

The boy, who was in government care and living in a group home, had gone to the pool with a staff member and two other children.

The pool required an adult to be within reach of the boy but his worker was preoccupied with a younger child and wasn't close by.

A mother in the pool with her children spotted the boy head down in the water and a lifeguard jumped in and pulled him out. Despite resuscitation efforts, the child was pronounced dead in hospital.

"His death was entirely preventable had his caregiver stayed within arm's reach ... and had pool staff paid closer attention to a child wearing a yellow wristband, who was clearly without adult supervision in the main pool," the judge wrote.

Boyle Street Residential Services, which operates the group home, did not have a swimming policy at the time. The report says the agency has since created one that requires staff to be within reach of children under eight and to put them in life-jackets.

Two staff are also to be at a pool with a group of three to five children.

The city of Edmonton also conducted a review and made changes about the number of lifeguards required and the positions they should be in to best see people in a pool.

The O'Leary pool has also added swimming ambassadors, who help swimmers and pull children out of the pool if they are without supervision.

In addition, the report says, the city is implementing 40 recommendations made by the Lifesaving Society regarding lifeguard training, public education and emergency response plans.