The summer season, and especially when the weather is hot, brings many out to the lake. Enjoying a day on the beach with family and friends, swimming, boating and playing in the sand is all a part of a fun summer. But for a six year old girl, a trip to the beach almost took her life.
On the morning of Saturday July 2nd, a day at the beach took a terrifying turn when a young girl was found unresponsive in the lake. “Just past 11:30am, EMS from Chestermere responded to Anniversary Park in the Town (City) of Chestermere for reports a young girl had been found floating face down in the water for an unknown period of time. She was pulled from the water by bystanders and brought to the shore. Paramedics were by the bystanders who indicated the patient, a six year old, had initially been unresponsive, but quickly improved and was awake and talking when EMS arrived. Paramedics transported her to the Alberta Children’s’ Hospital in serious, but otherwise stable condition for further assessment”, said Stuart Brideaux, EMT-P, Public Education Officer with Alberta Health Services.
It is unknown at this time if the child is a resident of Chestermere or who she was at the beach with, but it has been confirmed that she was not wearing a lifejacket and appeared to be unsupervised while in the lake.
Brideaux adds, “As recreational use of lakes and waterpark areas increases during summer break, please take note of the following:
· It is recommended young children / inexperienced swimmers always wear life jackets in and the around water.
· Do not use other floatation devices (rafts, tubes) without a lifejacket unless you are able to swim.
· Pay especially close attention to children. Even in shallow water, loss of footing or other distractions may occur causing an unprotected fall into the water.
· A small child can disappear under the water in seconds and can drown in only a few centimetres of water-enough to cover the mouth and nose, therefore continual supervision is recommend for young children in and around the water
· Small children are also the most vulnerable group for near-drownings”.
Since the beach in Anniversary Park opened, there has been a significant increase to the number of guests that come to the beach and swim in the lake area. Although the Rotary Club of Chestermere recently constructed a life jacket loaner station to provide life jackets to avoid situations like this, the City of Chestermere does not provide lifeguard services and states: “This park is unsupervised and use may involve the risk of injury. The City of Chestermere is not responsible for loss or injury to park users or damaged property. There is no lifeguard on duty. Enter the water at your own risk”.
Residents of Chestermere began positing to social media showing concern for the little girl and her family but also posing the question of why the City of Chestermere does not have lifeguards on duty at Anniversary Park, even if during the high traffic summer months.
At the time of this article the young victim is believed to be in stable condition in the Alberta Children’s Hospital.
