Sasanka De Silva Pannipitiya

Due to the current situation in the country, most hotels are trying to bring in local guests with attractive family weekend packages that include the use of the pool without additional cost.

Recently, I attended a wedding at one of these hotels, and their pool was full of young and small kids, but nowhere to be seen as any lifeguard on duty.

A couple of days ago, a 24-year-old young man drowned in one of the hotels in Mount Lavinia.

What really led to the drowning?

I am not aware, but it was confirmed that the pool was left unattended.

Due to the lifeguard’s lack of lifesaving training, it took a long time to find the lifeguard who was supposed to be on duty, and very few attempts were made to resuscitate him after being taken out of the water.

If there had been a trained person on duty that day, the fate of the young man would have been different.

Therefore, the purpose of this is not to blame anyone but rather to offer some suggestions as to what we, as individuals, may do to spare our loved ones from having to deal with such an incident while having fun.

Please call ahead to confirm that the facility has trained lifeguards.

Only one should commit if the bundle is alluring, a pool option is offered and a qualified lifeguard is available.

Ensure that a lifeguard is actually on duty at the poolside at all times to handle any emergencies that may arise during their stay.

Even verify his or her credentials and training without hesitation because your loved one’s well-being is what counts most.

Sasanka De Silva

Pannipitiya.