So as I was lifeguarding on Friday I noticed two twin boys of about five or six come prancing out of the mens change room (you know, the I'm not running but I am running prance?). They wiggle thier way across deck and book it for the slide in the deep end (our deep end isn't all that deep by the way, I can touch the whole way). At this point I'm thinking two things: 1)Gee I hope these kids can swim! and 2)Parent? Where is a parent?
As though I called him into existence a man stepped out of the changeroom. He glanced at the prancing boys and in a unconcerned manner and yelled something. One kid turned around and pranced halfway back, then noticed his brother hadn't turned back and went running after him. The man just shrugged and begain walking towards the slide from the other direction in a slow and leisurely manner. He was about 10 meters away when the first twin hit the water.
At this point I am walking towards the slide in a decidedly unleisurely manner and when I get there about 2 seconds later the kid is twitching around in the water (seriously, twitching...not thrashing or drowning...I think he was twitching around like that before he even hit the water...maybe he was prancing underwater!) and the man is standing on the edge (in his bathing suit) watching him. I say "is he alright? can he swim?" (again, the kid shows no signs of drowning...but is also not coming up for air or moving towards the slide) and the man says:
"Yeaaaaaaah.....you should probably jump in and get him...."
!
!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So I do....and ruin a very cute pair of underwear by the way...and as I'm standing there in the water holding a still wriggling child I yell "so he can't swim!" and the guy says "weeeeeell.....he's not actually my son so I'm not sure". And I yell "But you're looking after him!" and he nods...still very unconcerned about the whole thing. I put the child on the edge and yell "Then look after them!" And he wanders back to the shallow end with the two kids. No thanks...no...caring about drowning children.
What would have happened if I hadn't come? I think he would have let the kids drown in chest deep water! Who does that? Who stands on the edge IN THIER BATHING SUIT and calmy watches a kid drown? An IDIOT!
I know rescuing people is my job and all...but I have never in my life had a caregiver stand withing two meters of a drowning kid and not help them. I am baffled.
