BY RACHANA DIXIT
A Spotsylvania County mother has angrily criticized the Massad YMCA in Stafford County because her son nearly drowned at its outdoor water park last week, while a lifeguard was on a nearby stand.
Lisa Conroy said her 31/2- year-old son, CJ, wandered away from the restroom at the Butler Road YMCA while she was in there. Conroy and her four children went to the water park that day around 11 a.m.
"As soon as I knew he was gone, I ran out looking for him," said Conroy, who has been a YMCA member for one year.
As she walked with her eldest son toward the deep end of the water park's pool, Conroy said her son saw CJ floating limply in the water around the 4-foot mark. She jumped in to pull him out.
"I don't even know how to swim," Conroy said. "The [lifeguard] would not come down and help me. I just kept screaming for help."
Barney Reiley, CEO of the Rappahannock Area YMCA, confirmed that there was a rescue at the Massad YMCA July 31. He did not provide further comment.
"It appears that our staff acted appropriately," Reiley said. "We're very grateful, from what we understand, that the child is doing all right."
The Massad YMCA water park can have as many as nine lifeguards on duty at a time, and seven lifeguard stands surround the area. The outdoor water park, which cost $2.4 million to build and attracts around 4,000 visitors per week, has a kids section in addition to the roughly 81- by 75-foot pool. Reiley said the pool's depth is 3 to 5 feet.
Conroy said another YMCA staff member gave CPR to her son, and he came to shortly after. Holly Bean, chief executive assistant for the Rappahannock Area YMCA, said many Massad branch lifeguards take a YMCA lifeguard training course--which includes river and water park safety--if they will be life guarding for an extended period of time. All lifeguards must be certified by the American Red Cross, which requires first-aid training and professional rescue CPR.
But because of what she called the lifeguard's inaction, Conroy said she did not know whether the lifeguard knew CPR or not.
CJ's father, John Conroy, said his son was hospitalized for two days because of the fluid buildup in his lungs. He has since been released, but Lisa Conroy still does not understand how her son slipped by the lifeguards into the main pool unnoticed, and why no one helped sooner.
"I feel responsible because he's my child, of course," she said. "On the other hand, they have lifeguards. They give the impression they're going to help you."
She added, "I don't want this to happen to any other child. That's my concern."
Rachana Dixit: 540/374-5000