A little boy died in the swimming pool on a cruise ship this week. With nobody watching closely enough, he drowned. A woman who was poolside jumped in and pulled him from the water. Attempts were made to resuscitate him, but they failed. Once the first question (what happened?) was answered, the second question was posed: "Why did it happen?"
This family tragedy has undoubtedly left his parents wracked with guilt. Others are pointing fingers, because with tragedies comes blame. They're fingering the cruise line for not having a lifeguard on duty at the pool.
This is a tough one. The first responsibility lies with the parents, of course. We have all been there, usually with different results. You are in charge of safety for your six-year-old, but a six-year-old can quickly disappear, and life can change in seconds. We've all seen it happen to our own children, or grandchildren, and sometimes the consequences are devastating.
Take a step back.
On cruise ships, all of them and not just Carnival's, there are no lifeguards. Signs are posted saying that. Passengers know, or should know, that. Cruise ships are often called floating hotels. How many hotels do you know of that have lifeguards on duty at their pools?
The difference is that there is unquestionably more activity at poolside on a cruise ship. Deejays playing loud music. Bands playing live music. Waiters hustling drinks. Animated conversations everywhere. There's a lot of noise and, if the weather is nice, a lot of people.
One life lost in a pool is too many. On average, 10 people drown in the U.S. every day. Maybe this statistic can be lowered by minimizing the risk it on cruise ships. Can it be minimized? Sure. Pools on ships are almost always daytime operations. By late afternoon, they're closed, except for special evening or late-night events.
So you're not looking at the cost of hiring a lifeguard 24/7. More like 10/7. Is that too steep a price to pay to keep deaths like this from happening?
It won't take parents off the hook of responsibility. But it will be a back-up if their child slips away.
Carnival Breeze
6 nights
January 12, 2014
Miami (return): Ocho Rio, Grand Cayman, Cozumel
Inside: $339
Cost per day: $56
www.carnival.com