Would you let a child die....

**Orfy** · 09-21-2007, 04:18 PM

Because you didn't have training.

FFS......... this makes my blood boil. If I were to post what I though then it would be one of the biggest rants on the forum.

****ing w****ners

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/manchester/7006412.stm

Quote:

Police chiefs have defended two community support officers (PCSOs) who stood by as a 10-year-old boy drowned in a pond.

**the_bird** · 09-21-2007, 04:34 PM

Jesus freakin'.....

I can't swim worth a damn, but I would have been in there without thinking. I can't believe that this little boy was brave enough to jump in to save his stepsister, but they just stood by. It doesn't matter in the least if you're wearing a uniform or not, at that moment you need to be a human being.

That's tragic on so many levels, it's almost incomprehensible.

**Mutilated1** · 09-21-2007, 04:38 PM

Gosh thats really horrible. Of course I would go in after the kid, and I can't really understand why anyone wouldn't, but wasn't the boy already out of sight underwater when the officers got there ?

I have a hard time blaming the officers for not going in after him though.

Its a sad situation, I feel really bad for his parents - they must be devastated.

rdwj · 09-21-2007, 04:39 PM

I would have gone in after him, but I actually have some training in the area. The big problem with people drowning is that they are panicked and will grab onto anything to save themselves. With an unskilled swimmer attempting a save, that can result in two deaths instead of one. Still, I can’t see how you can just stand there and watch it happen.

2nd Street Brewery · 09-21-2007, 04:41 PM

Let me preface this by saying that I can't swim. I can paddle myself from one side of a pool to the other but in no way do I think that I have the ability to jump into somewhere and save someone who is drowning. Now would I still try, that is tough. If it were a family member or I was the only person there I probably would have done something, but to be quite honest I don't know if I would try for someone I didn't know. Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't just walk on by, I would try something, but jumping in, probably not.

Since I don't know what level of training these people had or what thier specific responsabilities are in a case like this I won't pass judgement on them.

mr x · 09-21-2007, 04:46 PM

I feel for the family, but I completely disagree with the grandmother's statement. If you can't swim, you have no business going into water over your head - ever. You just compound the problem. I've done ERT (Emergency Response Team) training and been Confined Space and Safety man in many dangerous situations and you really need to use your head . I'd like to hear more of the story - not enough details.

Same situation happened in here recently. Young fellow drove his car in the water - 1st arriving officer couldn't swim nad basically had to watch him drown...what can you do?

**Mutilated1** · 09-21-2007, 04:46 PM

Well fortunately the little boy was able to save his sister.

You know a similar thing happened here in the States this summer.

A six year old boy jumped into his grandparents partially filled swimming pool to save his three year old sister who had fallen in. He managed to push his sister up into the shallow end of the pool, but couldn't pull himself up as well. And since the water was only partially filled, he couldn't reach the ladders to climb out.

Sacrificed himself to save his sister.

Very sad, but there is a heroic side of the story to be happy about as well. The little boy should be remembered as a hero.

Evan! · 09-21-2007, 04:46 PM

I remember back when I was in high school, there was a big story in our county about a bunch of black kids playing around this tiny shallow pond, and none of them could swim. Some were as old as their mid-teens. One fell in and started drowning. Another tried to help him, but he got pulled under as well. And so it went...I think at 3 or 4 of them died trying to save the others. At least where I grew up, there was a very big gap between blacks and whites on the swimming forefront, and this kind of thing was tragic but non entirely unheard of.

As for these officers, I don't know which way to go. On one hand, I can't say that I would have stood by while children drowned, but I'm a great swimmer. On the other hand, if you can't save them, how do you justify jumping in? If little timmy is trapped down the well, do you jump in too, knowing you can't get out? They should have ran and found someone who could swim...but jumping in knowing you'll not be able to save them if you do, that doesn't make much sense.

**Orfy** · 09-21-2007, 04:46 PM

I don't have training....you don't need training......you just do it.

These plastic coppers are worthless...

mr x · 09-21-2007, 04:49 PM

You need to know how to swim if you are going in the water after someone.