Parks department to look at options after teen drowns
VANCOUVER, Wash. - Parents at a popular Clark County pond say they want lifeguards back after a teenager drowned over the weekend.
Other swimmers pulled 13-year-old DiMaggio Lee from Klineline Pond Saturday but he died.
On a busy summer weekend three years ago there used to be 12 lifeguards patrolling the pond eight hours a day, seven days a week, but they were eliminated because of budget cuts. Vancouver-Clark Parks & Recreation slashed more than $1 million, including the $72,000 spent on lifeguards.
"We went through an extraordinarily difficult budget process. A number of impacts to many services," said Dave Perlick, the budget manager for Vancouver-Clark Parks & Recreation. "This is a decision that had to be made in order to keep the majority of the facilities open."
Perlick was involved in the decision to eliminate lifeguards at Klineline.
After the drowning, Perlick said they’ll look at making changes to prevent such a tragedy from happening again.
"It's very difficult. I was called on Saturday and was out there, and I saw some of the family members. I can't tell you how much all of our heart goes out to the family," he said. "We're certainly going to take a really close look at what happened, what were the exact details and what some of variables and some of the options that we might have."
The options would be limited. The county would need to pass an official budget action.
To a question as to whether lifeguards should come back to Klineline, Perlick said he couldn’t answer that question.
"It's a community value and resource decision," he said. "We've got to have some serious discussions about whether that's something that the community desires and can afford at this time."
New this year at the pond is a shed that contains life vests. The county wants families to take a life vest and borrow it for the day; however, on Monday there were plenty of children swimming in the pond but none were wearing life vests.
Interesting, the county is responsable for the parents not watching thier own kids. Calling for the county to get sued. That is a bunch of BS!! If the parents are not willing or able to take care of and keep safe thier offspring, they should not have kids. IF the parents are not willing to teach thier kids the basics of water saftey and how to swim and tread water, that is on the parents not the county. swimming is a sport that has inherant risks involved and every one who swims should know about that . SO having said that , those calling for a law suit are calling for the waste of tax payers money( but than again this is the northwest the land of the liberal democratic gimme gimme chuckleheads so that is what they do , waste tax payers money...)
Put up a sign "no drowning"
So the kid was swimming outside of the designated swimming area? Sounds like some parenting could have been helpful at the site of this tragedy too. Were the parents dropped due to budget cuts too? It doesn't mention who he was there with in this article or the one about the drowning. Anyone know?
One day there were 12 lifeguards at this pond - and the public was sufficiently protected by that staff - and the next day  Clark County simply ignored all pretense they were responsible for public safety - and did away with all of those positions? That defies logic. And the person in charge of that decision - needs to be fired. As well as held legally responsible for this child's drowning death.Â
Â
Gee whiz, Clark County - if you can't do a better, more responsible job of allocating your public monies than just ask the feds to come in and manage your entire county for you. Makes the public wonder - what other incredibly reckless and unjustified budget cuts - do they need to take a second look at - right this very instant. too?Â
Â
Heads should roll at Clark County -and wrongful death lawsuits should commence forthwith, people. I have now heard it all, Clark County. Disgusting.Â
@englishdaisy What there should be is "wrongul birth suits" against all the breeders who refuse their parental responsibility to parent and supervise their children. Your mentality is symptomatic of exactly what is wrong with this country: Failure to accept personal responsibility and a penchant for finger pointing. If you want to blame someone, blame the parents who fail to teach and supervise their children.Â
 @englishdaisy There haven't been lifeguards at the pond for what?  Two years?  Three?  I disagree with just about everything you've said.  When you take your kids to the park, YOU need to be responsible for what they're doing!  It is so sad to lose a child, but what-if's are just unworthy.  There are no lifeguards?  Then ACT appropriately!
Seriously, Klineline is literally a craphole, and lets be honest here, is a breeding ground for trash.  The same trash that doesn't pay  taxes, and when that happens, they run out of other peoples money.  Thats why there is a stack of lame life vests there, instead of a lifeguard or two.  That aside, that kids parents should have been around. Someone in these comments mentioned that the Vancouver Parks and Recreation could be sued for not having a lifeguard. You're probably right, and thats why there is a stack of life vests there.  Because some P.O.S. person sued VPR for some other stupid reason like that.  It's the truth, and it's going to get worse.Â
 @StanlyIpkiss I have taken my kids to lakes for years upon years and there has never been a lifeguard.  If something had happened to one of the kids, I would have blamed myself for not paying attention, and that is the correct person to blame
 @StanlyIpkiss Let's look/see at the (illogic) of Stanlylpkiss - it's a c*ap hole, in his/her opinion . If that is the case - and the entire county agrees with you - the only way you walk away from a popular swimming hole like this - and leave it unmanned - would be to drain it. Completely  But that did not occur. No county official spent one second "thinking". They just rushed to unaccountably MISALLOCATE those needed lifeguard public monies to somewhere else. I can hardly wait for the wrongful lawsuit from this young boy's family to find out exactly and expressly where Clark County officials thought these lifeguard position monies were better spent.Â
Â
Parents are not the ONLY safeguard at popular public swim areas. If that were the case there would be no need in any county or city or state - for any lifeguards - anywhere. The county is LIABLE here - big time. And it should weigh heavily on each Clark County ndiffierent acting bureaucrat today - that a little boy did not have to drown. And should be alive today. If only...
Â
Â
 @englishdaisy  @StanlyIpkiss I grew up in an era in which I never saw a lifeguard.  We camped at lakes and rivers all through my childhood.  The notion that someone should be responsible for our kids is totally ridiculous.  The little boy did not "have" to drown, and it will weigh heavily on everyone who was at the swimming pool, as it will weigh on the family of the boy.  But county officials?  I say no.  It is sad when things like this happen, but other people are not responsible for our errors.
@englishdaisy No they aren't liable. The swimming area has no life guards. That is not a secret. Had their been life guards and they were just not paying attention, then the county would be at fault. You want to find someone else to blame, but can you tell me where this kid's parents were when he was swimming outside of the designated swimming area? Surely they hold some liability in that it was THEIR kid breaking the rules. But, you are the kind of person that shuns personal responsibility, right? It's always someone else's fault and someone should always be sued. I can't tell you how many life guards I have ever seen on the Oregon Coast (not very many)...Is it the state's fault when someone drowns in the ocean on the Oregon Coast?
@StanlyIpkiss Yep. I would never take my child to that place. I would probably sooner swim in the Willamette...
"Parents at a popular Clark County pond say they want lifeguards back after a teenager drowned over the weekend."
Â
Okay parents, take the appropriate water safety courses and voluteer to be a lifeguard. The safety of your child is primarily your responsibility, not the taxpayers. Enroll your child in swimming lessons, teach them what they can and cannot do, and supervise your child.Â
 @I812 Parents are not the ONLY safeguard at popular public swim areas. If that were the case there would be no need in any county or city or state - for any lifeguards - anywhere. The county is LIABLE here - big time. And it should weigh heavily on each Clark County ndiffierent acting bureaucrat today - that a little boy did not have to drown. And should be alive today. If only...
 @englishdaisy  @I812 Right.  It's always someone else's fault.  And when you vote, you always vote to give the total amount the county, city or state says it needs.
@englishdaisy Sorry, you are wrong. If you don't want the responsibilities of a parent then don't have kids. Simple. But don't try to blame the county for a child that didn't follow the rules. And, when did it become the county's responsibility to supervise children?
@englishdaisy That little boy did not have to drown...If only his parents had taken precautions and taught him to follow the rules, maybe he would be alive today. That is not even as big a leap as the one you are making trying to blame the county.
Either prohibit people from swimming there or start charging for day use passes during the peak months.
 @UtterReality At last.  A thoughtful and worthy suggestion!  But no ... it's more fun to whine about someone else being responsible, followed by whining that our taxes are so high.
If I remember correctly (someone can correct me if they choose), I remember back in the seventies Klineline had a large post of pond swimming rules at the swimming area with a limit line and floats. The rules were no swimming beyond the line or you will be told to stay out of the pond and if you did not obey then you would be ejected from the park by a police officer. There were only two lifeguards and they seem to enforce the rules very well. It is a very popular swim hole during hot weather and kids could fish around the pond away from the designated swim area. Who in their right mind would blow a budget to pieces with twelve lifeguards at one little pond Dave Perlick, the budget manager for Vancouver-Clark Parks & Recreation? But, no matter what, there will always be someone that can't be saved. With fish planted for sport fishing there were always plenty of older kids and adults around the pond and many of them would jump in and save someone in trouble, is there no fishing interest at this pond anymore???
My son was a lifeguard at Klineline. Part of the lifeguarding duty was to make sure everyone stayed in the designated swimming area. They used kayaks to patrol the water and to keep an eye on swimmers. If you weren't in the swimming area, you were told to go there or leave the park. Many times a Sheriff's deputy was called to escort rule breakers off the premises.  Parents need to watch their kids, too, of course. The outcome could've been very different with lifeguards on duty. The lifeguards suggested raising the entrance fee to help pay for the lifeguards and the Parks Dept said no.  This is not the first drowning since lifeguards were eliminated and it won't be the last, the Parks Dept. should wise up and bring back the lifeguards before they get sued.Â
 @Jamie Baylous Caya I agree with you except that I seem to recall that we the people don't approve of higher entrance fees.
 @Jamie Baylous Caya ...we were typing at the same time, with similar thoughts!Â
What good is swimming with a life vest? Not a lot of fun. It's more like floating.
 @RalphCramden Ya, that was the sad part of the story.  Why the heck would you expect people to start wearing that *&$% while swimming?  I wouldn't want to go to some swimming spot where they proposed that I don the orange...that'd be just about the last place I would want to go!
From accounts I have read life guards alone would not have saved him.
Â
I hear he was not swimming in the designated swimming area so it is likely a lifeguard may have been as far away as the first responders....
Â
That being said I never trust the lifeguards. One has to remember most of the time they are yound kids themselves.
Â
I was at clubsports watching my kid at the end of the slide like a parent should and a young black child came down the slide and dropped into the water. The force of the water dropped so hard it was pounding him and keeping him under the water and he was pannicking and trying to come up instead of swimming under water away from the downforce. I watched him for a few seconds wondering if he was going to get out on his own. I looked up and saw his parents about 30 feet away talking and not looking at him. The lifeguard who was 10 feet away was not aware of it. I then swooped in and scooped him up out of the water. He let out a chocking gasp and then starting wailing. At that point the parents came rushing but still took them about 15 seconds to reach me through the water. The lifeguard saw she had missed this and came dfown to thank me and apologize for not seeing it.
Â
Bottomline? Watch your own kids. Do not rely on anyone else. They are your resposnibility.
Â
I have always felt my job is to keep my kid alive until he reaches 18 and levase the nest or goes to college. Then I need to hope I taught him well enough to keep himself safe. Anything less than that and I have failed as a parent.
 @Duvie23 Curious that you thought it necessary to let us know his ethnicity, but good job nonetheless.
 @WTFWTF  @Duvie23 "Curious" is a very nice way to put it. SO strange to say what color the kid was; I wonder what in the world Duvie23's point was in doing so... (Duvie23 - I am just baffled. Did race have something to do with your story?)
 @Duvie23Â
Â
Nice work.
Â
Not only is it the parents responsibility but it is every adult who is there. In your case you happen to be watching him while watching your own kids.
I totally agree...
Â
Watch your own damn kids. It is your responnsibility. However this is a perfect example why people in this country are wards of the state. We rely on everyone but ourselves.
Â
How about we have the people pay a day pass to use the facilities and that covers the lifeguards?
Â
Why make everyone in the county pay for the swimming in the ponds when most choose not to swim in the feces invested ponds. I mean they close it down about once a summer becuase people let little kids go in the water with diapers and pull-ups and defecate in the water.
Â
It doesnt matter where you would be at...A club pool, a pool at a hotel, a pool at an apartment complex. If the child is under 16 they are always to be accompanied by an adult.
Â
I feel sorry for the child because I can only imagine his panick and no one there to notice him immediately.
 @Duvie23 Actually, as an apartment manager, I always point out that our rules include that NO one should be in a swimming pool alone, regardless of age.  And children under 14 (not 16) must be accompanied by an adult (age 18 and over).  Two 14, 15 or 16 year olds could swim together without an adult.  Since I trust that our management company keeps up with state laws, I'm confidant that there is no state law that a child under 16 needs to be accompanied by an adult.  Of course, this boy was 13 ... even by our rules, a parent should have been watching him.
 @Duvie23 Parents are not the ONLY safeguard at popular public swim areas. If that were the case there would be no need in any county or city or state - for any lifeguards - anywhere. The county is LIABLE here - big time. And it should weigh heavily on each Clark County indiffierent acting bureaucrat today - that a little boy did not have to drown. And should be alive today. If only...
I have watched the coverage of this story for two days and listened to the call for return of the lifeguards. But frankly, I cannot understand why adults let children swim without a life jacket. So many of the drownings that occur every summer season can be avoided. Sure, children may object to wearing a jacket but if the community supported universal use, the mind set could be changed. I come from another State to the south and we never let our son and his friends swim or play in a river without wearing a life jacket.Â
 @SiouxBee Um, duh.  How do you teach a child to swim, if you always have them in a life vest?  That's purely silly.  You won't get community support for this.
Â
Now, on the OTHER hand, swimming in a RIVER is a whole different toy. Â But to make rules about what "everyone" should do, is to take away even the modicum of responsibility that the individual should take over themselves and their children.
Swimming with a life jacket is pretty lame...I just went swimming at the warm springs pool and no one was wearing life jackets there. Â The little ones had these arm floaty tube things though, I guess that counts right?
@SiouxBee - Believe it or not.... RESPONSIBLE parents teach their kids how to swim! If the young man did not know, the parents should be up on charges for child endangerment. There are just too many streams, lakes, ponds and a nearby ocean to NOT teach your children how to swim.
That said, there could easily be other factors that have not come out yet.
 @cvyoung  @SiouxBee True cvyoung, but having a child who knows how to swim still doesn't mean they should swim without supervision.
Where were the 13yr olds parents??? Were they letting him swim with no supervision??
 @jonsiesd2 In a popular swimming pond like this - that has ALWAYS had publicly paid lifeguards and one day Clark County just discretionarily decided to misallocate those public monies on roads or raises to public employees, or whatever else instead - where were the county bureaucrats - did they think something tragic would occur if they made the WRONGFUL DECISION to turn an indifferent back to this pond that they previously noted to NEED paid lifeguards - and instead ignored all of that - defying all logic?Â
Â
Wrongful lawsuit against Clark County. That's how I read it. Totally - 100 percent - wrongful death. A clearly lead to B. And that is just regrettable WRONGFUL of Clark County. If not this young boy than it would have been someone' else's. Sooooo wrong of Clark County to set this tragic scenario in place and all but guarantee a drowning death this summer.Â
 @englishdaisy  @jonsiesd2 Hogwash.  I am fed up with "wrongful death" crapola.  Your children are your responsibility.  Stop passing it off to ME to have to pay higher taxes so we can pay for lifeguards so you don't have to watch your kids.
@englishdaisy You go outside in your tinfoil hat? You have said the same thing over and over again, and that does not make it corrrect. You are wrong and it's people like you who think it is never one's own responsibility that are dragging this country into the ground. Personal responsibilty should be something we all take, but you seem to be the kind of person that would rather blame others.
 @Portlander29  @englishdaisy WELL stated; thank you Portlander29