lifeguard news: October 2014

Wednesday, October 29, 2014

Jurors recommend $2.6M payout for woman run over by lifeguard in Daytona Beach Shores

Posted: 5:19 p.m. Friday, June 27, 2014

Jurors recommend $2.6M payout for woman run over by lifeguard in Daytona Beach Shores

http://www.wftv.com/videos/news/video-jurors-recommend-26m-for-woman-run-over-by/vCgdtt/

VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. —

A jury awarded woman who was run over by a Beach Patrol truck more than $2 million for the accident that left half of her face paralyzed.

Erin Joynt, 36, said she suffered life-long injuries when she was hit while sunbathing in Daytona Beach Shores nearly three years ago.

Late Thursday afternoon, following more than three hours of deliberation, a Volusia County jury recommended awarding Joynt $2.6 million in damages, including $2 million for pain and suffering.

State law says a payout the size of the one recommended in Joynt's case has to be approved by the Florida Legislature.

Joynt was run over while sunbathing in 2011. Her children and husband were nearby when the accident happened.

"(We're) very happy for the verdict. We thank the jury for their service," said John Phillips, who represented Joynt in the suit.

Phillips said there's still work to do.

A Florida statute protects the state, its agencies and subdivisions from liability of a claim exceeding $200,000. The law spells out the next step for a claim or judgment exceeding that amount. That involves reporting the ruling to the Legislature.

That means the decision on payout will be made in Tallahassee.

"I think some of the evidence wasn't there to support that level of a verdict but how do you decide what to pay someone for pain and suffering?" said Volusia County Attorney Nancy Jones.

In court, Jones pointed out that Joynt had pre-existing medical conditions.

The accident paralyzed the left side of Joynt's face. She said she also suffers from hearing loss, loss of vision and aches and pains that have changed her lifestyle.

“We are still an active family, but Chris (Joynt’s husband) takes on the majority of the running around,” Joynt said. “It wears me out more now

The law says $200,000 is the maximum amount per claim, and it includes all money paid related to the incident. Joynt's family members were already paid out by Volusia County earlier this year. That settlement included $134,000 for her husband and $15,000 each for her two children.

"Hero" Lifeguard Jumps From Pier Into Pounding Surf to Save Swimmer

A swimmer in distress was rescued from heavy surf that slammed the Orange County coastal community of Seal Beach and flooded beachfront homes

By Jonathan Lloyd and Annette Arreola

Thursday, Aug 28, 2014 • Updated at 2:28 AM PDT

A lifeguard jumped from a pier Wednesday morning into high surf to rescue a swimmer who was caught in the water off an Orange County beach community that was slammed overnight by a storm surge generated by Hurricane Marie.

The lifeguard jumped from the middle of a pier off Seal Beach and swam through pounding surf to reach the swimmer, identified as a man in his 60s, according to police. The lifeguard responded after he was notified by a surfer that the man was in distress.

"He jumped off the pier and very heroically saved the individual," said Seal Beach Police Chief Joseph Stilinovich, who estimated the lifeguard covered "several hundred yards" to reach the swimmer. "I want to emphasize, that lifeguard is a hero,"

Drowning Accidents legal support in pursuing justice

Negligent Lifeguards

Drowning Accident Attorney in Texas

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Whether your child is at a city pool or the beach, lifeguards are trusted to protect the safety of our children when they are near or in water. In many cases, lifeguards are highly trained professionals. In other less fortunate cases, a child has been lost due to a negligent and careless lifeguard. It is extremely important that you contact a Texas drowning accident lawyer from the firm immediately if your child has been injured or was the victim of a drowning in a water accident due to a negligent lifeguard. You should not wait to contact an attorney as the evidence involved in the case may become more difficult to utilize. The medical bills that may be accumulated after a pool or beach accident may be extremely large. It is important to ensure you are doing everything you can to help your child recover by speaking with an attorney.

Negligent Lifeguards and Pool Accidents

If a lifeguard is distracted or not doing their job and a drowning occurs under their watch, this could be deemed to be negligence under law. When their duty is neglected, tragedy can ensue. When a child in distress is missed, it can result in the death or serious injury of the child. It is sometimes important to gather witness testimonies that can support the fact that the lifeguard was negligent in their duty to protect swimmers from harm, whether in a hotel or motel pool, public pool, water park or other swimming or water environment.
Our firm has assisted many clients with pool accident cases. Jesse E. Guerra Jr. is extremely passionate about making public pools safer for children. Our firm handles more pool cases in Texas every year than any other firm. If your firm is taken on you not only will greatly improve our chances of receiving the compensation you are due, you may very well save the lives of other children by changing conditions at public pools.
Contact a Texas pool accident attorney today.

No one can train certified lifeguard

There is lot of organization argued that no one can train certified lifeguard but expect by certified lifeguard instructor or organization. But in my point of view those arguments can bring down easily hence national and international level of lifeguard training, certification only provides a sound of foundation for lifeguards. It’s and just that beginning its up to the aquatic manager or lifeguard supervisor to take that newly certified lifeguards and help them to develop into highly skilled profession rescuer- by Palitha Ariyarathna

Lifeguard Negligence

Source:
According to the Centers for Disease Control, “Six people drown in U.S. pools every day. Many of these pools are public facilities staffed with certified professional life guards.” Drowning is the fourth leading cause of accidental death in the United States and one-third of the victims are children under the age of fourteen. Furthermore:

Nineteen percent of child drowning fatalities take place in public schools with certified lifeguards on duty
In nearly 9 out of 10 child-drowning deaths, a parent or caregiver claimed to be watching the child

A study in 2001 showed that the average response time of a lifeguard is one minute and fourteen seconds- but this can be too long when a swimmer is in trouble. In the words of a consultant for Lifesaving Resources Inc., “We see time and time again where the lifeguard fails to recognize the problem and fails to intervene appropriately.” The consultant also estimated that there are “100 plus” drownings that occur at guarded facilities each year. When lifeguards are devoting their attention to a magazine or their cell phone, the Lifesaving Resources consultant said, “I think you’re better off not having a lifeguard and putting up a sign ‘no lifeguard on duty’ rather than have a lifeguard operating in this manner.”
When a lifeguard is negligent, swimmers can experience near-drowning incidents and suffer from serious conditions such as brain hypoxia, brain ischemia or central nervous system infection. Other serious injuries that can occur when a lifeguard is negligent include:

Broken bones
Lacerations
Coma
Paralysis

What does lifeguard negligence involve?

In some instances, a lifeguard’s negligence can even result in a swimmer’s death (see wrongful death). Lifeguards receive extensive training and should be able to keep pool patrons safe as a result. While it is easy for a lifeguard to become tired in the sun or bored or for him/her to lose control of an overcrowded body of water, a lifeguard has a duty of care and must rise above these challenges. The lifeguard duty of care involves observing swimmers for signs of distress and when distress is discovered, attempting a reasonable rescue. It is recommended that lifeguards sit in an elevated chair and be “poised and ready to act if an emergency occurs.” A lifeguard also has a duty to identify safety risks and minimize or eliminate these. Lifeguard duties include making sure maximum occupancy laws are not broken and that horseplay is prevented in and around the pool area. Texas Administrative Code, Title 25, Part 1, Chapter 265, §265.199 discusses the duties of a lifeguard.

Besides involving a lifeguard who acted negligently, lifeguard negligence can also involve public swimming areas that fail to provide a qualified lifeguard or public swimming areas that do not provide a sufficient number of lifeguards at a time. When a public facility determines how many lifeguards they should employ, they should keep in mind factors such as the total swim area, the number of zones involving high risk areas (such as diving areas), and the volume of swimmers expected. Lifeguards must be certified by an accredited American Red Cross training program (this program includes important training such as how to perform CPR).

Fight for damages today!

If you sent your child to a neighbor’s house and an adult was supervising the children, you could also have a lawsuit on your hands if an injury occurred. Accidents such as diving in the shallow end or slip and falls can be prevented by adult supervision and if this was promised and not delivered, an adult can be found negligent. If your child experienced injuries because a lifeguard took too long to respond to an emergency, failed to respond to an emergency or failed to properly administer CPR- you should contact Zinda & Davis, PLLC today to fight for the damages you deserve!

Female Sunbather Struck by Lifeguard SUV at Venice Beach

Posted 12:23 PM, September 16, 2014, by Melissa Pamer

source:

A photo taken at Venice Beach on Sept. 15, 2014, shows first responders treating a woman injured when she was run over by a lifeguard vehicle. (Credit: NameOnRice)

A 25-year-old woman who was sunbathing at Venice Beach was run over by a county lifeguard SUV, authorities confirmed Tuesday.
The incident occurred about 4:20 p.m. Monday after a lifeguard responded to call about swimmers getting too close to rocks, according to Los Angeles County Fire Department Inspector Scott Miller.
The lifeguard was driving away from the scene without lights or sirens when the vehicle struck the woman, Miller said, citing information from the department’s lifeguard section chief. The SUV had used lights and sirens when originally arriving at the location, Miller said.
The victim was hospitalized at UCLA Medical Center, authorities said.
The incident follows a May crash in which a county Department of Beaches and Harbors worker drove over a 49-year-old female sunbather, also at Venice Beach. In February, a man was run over by a maintenance worker’s truck on the beach in Long Beach.
In the Monday collision, the woman was struck by a lifeguard’s Ford Escape SUV while her husband was swimming in the ocean, according to Sgt. Frazier with the Los Angeles Police Department’s West Traffic Division, which took a report on the incident.
Frazier referred to the incident as a tragic accident. The lifeguard stopped and called for help after hitting the woman, Frazier said.
The victim had injuries that were not life-threatening, he said.
Miller did not know exactly where on the beach the woman had been lying when she was struck.
KTLA’s Alberto Mendez and Jennifer Thang contributed to this article.

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Monday, October 27, 2014

Guest drowns in Dubai hotel swimming pool

Nov 20, 2011 source:

Oasis Court Hotel Apartments Pool (PICTURE http://www.oasiscourt.com)

Police are investigating the death of a guest who drowned in the swimming pool of Oasis Court Hotel Apartments in Bur Dubai on Friday (November 18) evening.

The incident happened at around 6:50pm at the open-air pool of the hotel, a popular spot among families in the old Pakistani consulate area in Bur Dubai, according to reports in Gulf News.

The victim, an Afghan man in his late 30s, checked into the hotel along with two other Afghans on Thursday (November 17). They were expected to stay until today (Sunday November 20), a hotel employee told the newspaper.
"We are carrying our own investigations, our lifeguard is with the police and we are very sorry for the victim's family," Shehab Lotfi, a manager with the hotel said.

According to the newspaper report, an Indian gym instructor at the hotel's health club told the police that the three Afghans came to the pool area at around 6:45pm and were lounging near the pool.

According to the hotel staff, the lifeguard had left for the day at 6.30pm. Minutes later, one of the three Afghans called the attention of the gym instructor who was inside the health club.

Nothing is visible from the health club after dark as its windows are tinted.

"I came out and saw this man floating under water [sic] and was motionless at the deep end of the pool. I pulled him out with a stick and immediately called the gym manager," the instructor told the police.

Minutes later, three police cars and an ambulance arrived on the scene. Paramedics were seen trying to revive the victim and pumping out water from his body, an eyewitness said.

"The man had apparently taken in a lot of water and his body was cold," an Indian health club member said. Witnesses said paramedics placed the victim on a stretcher and rushed him to a waiting ambulance as his companions followed, according to Gulf News.
The swimming pool is 19 metres long with a deep end of 2.5 metres.

The hotel staff said there was no CCTV camera in the pool area.

The open-air pool and the health club are located on the ground floor and the hotel room balconies face the pool.

Some guests were seen on the balconies as they watched police and a three-member forensic team investigate the accident scene. The police took statements of the gym instructor, his manager and other hotel employees.

Emirati drowns while saving six children

source:

(Photo for illustrative purpose only - AFP/Getty Images)

An Emirati man died while attempting to rescue six children from drowning off the coast of Ras Al Khaimah.
The man, identified by official media as Ahmed Salem, drowned while trying to assist the children, who were aged between 11 and 13 years old.

Three Emirati men in the area went into the water after seeing the distressed children.
One of the children also died during the rescue.

Deputy prime minister and minister of interior Lt General Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan paid tribute to Salem, offering condolences to his family.

Hotel lifeguard’s jail term for molesting girls upheld

Hotel lifeguard’s jail term for molesting girls upheld

Mary Nammour / 15 April 2010
source:

DUBAI — The Court of Appeal upheld the six-month jail term given to a lifeguard by a lower court for molesting two girls at the swimming pool of a local hotel.

The court also upheld the order to deport the 25-year-old Pakistani lifeguard after serving the jail term.

The court cleared two of the hotel’s managers of the crime of failing to report the molestation incident despite being aware of it, quashing thus the Dh1,000 fine slapped by the preliminary court for the same charge.

The Court of First Instance sentenced the lifeguard to six months in jail followed by deportation on February 28 for molesting two Jordanian girls while he was on duty.

The court also fined two of the hotel’s managers — a Syrian and an Indian — Dh1,000 each for not reporting the molestation.

The mother of the two girls told the Public Prosecution that a few days after they had checked in at the hotel in Muraqqabat, their daughters were reluctant to go to the swimming pool. “I heard them whispering to each other.” When she asked them to speak out, they said they were afraid but told her what happened. The mother immediately went and confronted the hotel’s reception desk.

When the mother confronted the staff, the lifeguard denied the incident. But the Indian hotel manager took the lifeguard aside and slapped him on his face. He also asked another staff member to take the lifeguard outside and cancel his residence visa.

Later, the manager showed the mother a piece of paper mentioning that the lifeguard’s services had been terminated and asked her whether this prompt action would suffice to which she said ‘no’. Instead, she insisted that the manager must call in the police.

About an hour later, she received a call from the reception. When she went down, a second manager (a Syrian), who was with the Indian manager, asked her not to call the police saying that there was no point in it. But the mother called the Muraqqabat police later and reported that her daughters were molested. The two girls confirmed in their statements during the investigation that the lifeguard touched them and kissed the younger sister while the other one pushed him and ran away.

mary@khaleejtimes.com

Three RAK hotel staff to face trial over girl's drowning

Head of security at hotel among those being prosecuted after Russian girl drowned in swimming

source:

Three staff members at a Ras Al Khaimah hotel are to be tried for failing to prevent an incident in which a five-year-old Russian girl drowned at the property's swimming pool.
Prosecutors in the emirate have charged the head of security and two rescuers, and will also try the child's mother for negligence.

The girl had been playing with her mother before sneaking into the adult swimming pool, Hotelier Middle East reported on Thursday, ciiting a report by Emirates 24/7. The report did not name the hotel.
It reports that there was a sign warning that there were no rescuers at the pool and that guests were swimming at their own risk.

The head of security at the hotel has denied responsibility for the child’s death, arguing that the mother should have prevented her from going to that pool.

He added that 12 rescuers were deployed around the property at pool designated for children. After being taken out of the water by two rescuers, the girl was rushed to hospital, where she died three weeks later.
All four are set to go on trial at the end of this month.

Hotel staff to pay out after tragic drownings

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The general manager and two employees at the Holiday Beach Motel in Fujairah have been ordered to pay AED 400,000 ($109,000) in blood money after a three-year old Emirati child and two housemaids drowned in the hotel swimming pool in October.

Gulf News reports that the incident occured on October 23 2012 when the two maids - an Ethiopian woman aged 25, and a Sri Lanka lady aged 20 - drowned in a failed attempt to rescue three-year-old Salmeen Hadef Salem, who had fallen into the hotel’s adult pool.

The child was taken to hospital in critical condition and was due to be flown abroad for treatment, but died on November 8, two weeks after the incident.

According to Gulf News Fujairah Court has also ordered the three hotel employees to pay AED 500 ($136) each for causing the deaths during their stay at the hotel

Visiting man drowns in Dubai hotel pool

Police take statements of gym instructor, manager and other employees

By Bobby Naqvi Editor, XPRESS
Published: 00:00 November 20, 2011
source:

Dubai: Police are investigating the death of a visitor who drowned in a hotel swimming pool in Bur Dubai on Friday evening, Gulf News has learnt.

The incident happened around 6:50pm at the open- air pool of the Oasis Court Hotel Apartments, a popular spot among families in the old Pakistani consulate area in Bur Dubai.

The victim, an Afghan man in his late 30s, checked into the hotel along with two other Afghans on Thursday and were expected to stay until today, a hotel employee said. The group stayed in room number 245.

Shehab Lotfi, a manager with the hotel told Gulf News: "We are carrying our own investigations, our lifeguard is with the police and we are very sorry for the victim's family."

An Indian gym instructor at the hotel's health club told the police that the three Afghans came to the pool area at around 6:45pm and were lounging near the pool.

According to the hotel staff, the lifeguard had left for the day at 6.30pm.

Minutes later, one of the three Afghans called the attention of the gym instructor who was inside the health club.

Nothing is visible from the health club after dark as its windows are tinted. "I came out and saw this man floating under water [sic] and was motionless at the deep end of the pool. I pulled him out with a stick and immediately called the gym manager," the instructor told the police.

Minutes later, three police cars and an ambulance arrived on the scene. Paramedics were seen trying to revive the victim and pumping out water from his body, an eyewitness said.

"The man had apparently taken in a lot of water and his body was cold," an Indian health club member said. Witnesses said paramedics placed the victim on a stretcher and rushed him to a waiting ambulance as his companions followed.

The swimming pool is 19 metres long with a deep end of 2.5 metres.

No CCTV camera

The hotel staff said there was no closed-circuit TV camera in the pool area.

The open-air pool and the health club are located on the ground floor and the hotel room balconies face the pool.

Some guests were seen on the balconies as they watched police and a three-member forensic team investigate the accident scene. The police took statements of the gym instructor, his manager and other hotel employees.

— With additional inputs from Dina Aboul Hosn, Staff Reporter

Couple Jailed For One Year After Getting Caught Kissing On Dubai Beach

World • James Gilbert • Jan 25, 2013 - 8:00pm

source:

A couple on Dubai beach has been jailed for one year after kissing in public on a beach, but the man claims he was merely trying to give the woman CPR after she suffered an asthma attack.
The couple consists of a 28-year-old Indian man and a 25-year-old Filipino woman, and according to a small Emirati child, the two were “wrestling” on the beach.
The child told his mother, who then called the police.
The couple who were just enjoying the beach in Dubai will now each face a year in jail, and will be deported once their bid is completed.
The two were coworkers at a McDonald’s in Dubai, and were spotted on Jumeirah Open Beach on December 17th.
The two admitted that they were a couple, but they vehemently denied kissing in public.

“That was absolutely untrue. We did not kiss. My colleague suffered an asthma while we were seated there and I performed CPR on her,” argued the man.

The couple did confess, however, to drinking alcohol without a license before they got to the beach.
The mother of the child who spotted the couple claims the two were intimately touching each other in the lifeguard tower for over an hour.

“I was shocked when I spotted them seated in a position that looked like they were making love,” said the mother.

“They were indulged in a very intimate situation, but they were not naked. Immediately I called 999.”

The defendants pleaded not guilty to committing a lewd act in public, but admitted to consuming alcohol without a license.

The Dubai Misdemeanour Court convicted them of committing a lewd act in public and sentenced them to 12 months in jail. They also received a fine of 1,000 UAE dirham (£173) each for consuming alcohol.
James Gilbert | Elite.

3 found guilty of negligence in RAK drowning case

Four-year-old girl died in hotel pool in 2013; lifeguards could not swim

source:

Ras Al Khaimah: Two lifeguards and their supervisor have been fined and ordered to pay Dh200,000 in blood money after they were found liable for the accidental death of a child who drowned in a hotel pool, a judiciary official told Gulf News.

Prosecution records revealed the lifeguards did not know how to swim.

The Ras Al Khaimah Misdemeanour Court found the European supervisor and the two Asian lifeguards guilty of negligence and failing to carry out their duties in a professional manner.

The female supervisor was fined Dh20,000 and the Asian lifeguards were each fined Dh10,000.

The verdict was issued by Presiding Judge Suhail Omar on Tuesday.

The defendants pleaded guilty.

The case dates back to 2013 when a four-year-old Arab girl died in a hotel pool.

Captain Yousuf Yaqoob, director of the Maritime Rescue Unit at Ras Al Khaimah Police, said a rescue team went to the scene as soon as the incident was reported. They found the child, identified as H.A.R., was already dead. Her body was taken to the forensic section for examination.

Capt Yaqoob urged parents to follow safety signs, pointing out that children left unsupervised near beaches or pools may be risking their lives. He appealed to parents to monitor their children while swimming and to ensure they wear suitable safety gear, such as life jackets.

He said some swimming pools in hotels and resorts were unsuitable for children under ten as they were too deep and no lifeguards were available

He called on hotels and resort managements to provide swimming areas with lifeguards round the clock.

Swimming Pool Safety Fence Dubai And Its Various Advantages

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It is very important for you to ensure the safety of your swimming pool and this aspect should be taken care of while setting up your pool. Aside from having professionals to look after your swimming pool, it is necessary to have important safety equipment around the pool area inorder to avoid any mishaps and accidents.

In a family, kids are most susceptible to drowning if adequate safety measures are not taken around the pool area. But this does not mean that safety measures are necessary only for kids, as they are important for the safety of all, including your pets.

Therefore, the best and the most preferred way to prevent such mishaps is by following all our pool safety tips and by installing swimming pool safety fence around your swimming pool. If you own a pool, you should act in a responsible way by have all necessary safety equipment in place at your pool including swimming pool safety fence to ensure incident free atmosphere in your pool area.

You should choose your safety fence after proper research, as there are many options available to you in the market. These fences are available in various shapes and designs to suit your pool area. You should ensure that the pool safety fence is strong enough to resist high pressures to remain in its original position.
Aside from providing the security around your pool area, a swimming pool safety fence also enhances privacy at the pool. In many regions, swimming pool safety fence has been made compulsory by law for preventing accidents such as drowning and accidental falls.

Certain factors such as material of fencing and the quantity required can influence the installation cost and maintenance of the swimming pool safety fence, Dubai climate makes this especially important. You have the choice of various types of pool fencing. We are discussing few of them for your benefit:
1.Wood- This is an attractive option and also serves as a security fence that enhances privacy. You will have to spend on its maintenance every year, as it needs painting.

2. Wrought Iron- This can be expensive as compared to the other options but is quite sturdy and beautiful. Usually, it is not used at the places where privacy is required. They have to be painted every year.
3. Chain link-This pool fence does not need any maintenance and is quite strong. It is also quite cost effective and can be installed without leaving any gaps. There is no need to paint them.

4 Aluminum- This swimming pool safety fence is a cost effective option and it does not need any maintenance. They are used for security, privacy and decorative purpose.
5. Vinyl- Vinyl swimming pool safety fence is available at affordable rates. It is quite strong and can withstand tough conditions.

6. Glass- Glass pool fencing is very beautiful and durable. It can be made in any size or shape and can cover the entire pool area to provide complete privacy. There is no need to paint them every year.

By installing swimming pool safety fence, Abu Dhabi, Dubai or wherever you may be, not only increase the safety at your swimming pool, but also the value of your property and this reflects in your insurance premiums. So, what are you waiting for! Just get in touch with us today to know your options and we shall do the rest for you

Drowning victim's father urges ban on pool parties

Police say boy's death was an accident and there are no suspects

By Dina Aboul Hosn, Staff Reporter
Published: 00:00 November 29, 2011
source:

Image Credit: Supplied

A grief-stricken father who lost his son in a swimming pool incident has called for a ban on pool parties for young children. Picture for illustrative purposes only

Dubai: A grief-stricken father who lost his son in a swimming pool incident has called for a ban on pool parties for young children.

Ahmad Ali, father of eight-year-old Ali Mazahir who drowned on Thursday, said he was still not completely informed about the circumstances surrounding his son's death in a swimming pool in a Dubai Marina building during a classmate's birthday party.

"My son was invited to a pool party, and I was reluctant to let him go, but the invitation clearly said that a lifeguard would be present," Ahmad, a Canadian citizen of Pakistani origin, told Gulf News. On Thursday afternoon, Ahmad met Ali at Gems Wellington School, where the child was a grade three student, to pick him up from his school.

"I took the bag and said goodbye just before 1pm. That was the last time I saw my son alive," he said.

Receives call

Around 2.30pm, the family received a call from the parents hosting the party, saying that their son had an incident and was on his way to Al Wasl Hospital.

"I called the mother, who was accompanying my son. She said the doctors refused to tell her anything and were asking for the child's parents, and I realised that my son was no longer with us," Ahmad said.

Doctors tried to revive him for 45 minutes, but he was lifeless and there was nothing they could do, Ahmad was told.

"There were 24 kids in that party, and I'm wondering if it was possible for any lifeguard or parent to supervise and control them," Ahmad said.

Ahmad was trying to fly his son back to Pakistan for the funeral yesterday, but formalities were not completed on time. "Hopefully, we will be able to fly on Tuesday night. Ali was a lively child when he came here, and all I'm taking back is a coffin and documents," Ahmad said.

Ali is survived by his parents and a sister, six-year-old Anna Zahra. Dubai Police said the death was an accident and there were no suspects.

"A family was hosting a party to which other families were invited, and by the time they noticed that a child was missing, he had already drowned," said Brigadier Khalil Ebrahim Al Mansouri, Director of Dubai Police's Criminal Investigation Department, adding that no one was held responsible for the death.

Most important

Dr Tapan Das, Sports in Charge and Head Swimming Coach at the Indian High School, said the most important thing for children's safety in pools is to encourage them to get in the water only when a lifeguard is present.

"Children should be informed which is the shallow side of the pool and allowed to acquire the swimming habit, which is just like walking," he said.

Mum buried dead baby at Jumeirah beach

Breathing difficulties caused premature baby girl to die two days after birth

By Eman Al Baik

Published Monday, July 15, 2013

A Filipina cleaner was sentenced to two years in jail for burying on Dubai’s Jumeirah Beach her newborn baby who had died two days after birth due to lack of medical treatment.

JAJ, 30, was in a relationship with compatriot RB (fugitive). She gave birth to a premature baby girl that needed medical care but did not get as the mother was scared of dismissal from her job if her illicit relationship became known. She also claimed that she did not have money to provide medical treatment to the baby.

Chief of Family and Juvenile Prosecution Mohammed Ali Rustom had asked the court to award a stiff penalty for the accused.

The incident was revealed when DSB, 29, compatriot co-worker of the accused, told JAJ’s story to her friend MR, 30, Filipina, hall supervisor, who in turn notified the accommodation supervisor.

DSB testified that JAJ had given birth to a premature baby girl in her room and that the baby needed medical care.

“In December 2012, JAJ told me that she got pregnant as a result of an illicit relationship with RB who stayed in Satwa and with whom she had stayed for four months. On March 1, JAJ told me that she gave birth herself without any assistance in her room.

“I went to her room and saw a naked premature baby girl whose body was stained with blood. I advised her to go to a hospital for medical treatment of the baby. On the same day, she left the accommodation to stay with her boyfriend. At 1pm on the following day, I got a call from her, telling me while weeping that the baby died after bleeding from the nose. On March 7, she returned to the accommodation and told me that on March 2, she put the dead baby’s body in a box and buried it on Jumeirah open beach,” BSB testified.

Accommodation supervisor SAJ, 39, Emirati, testified that on March 10 when she learnt from a worker in the accommodation about JAJ giving birth to a baby a result of an illicit relationship, she took the cleaner to Latifa Hospital where it was confirmed she had given birth ten days ago.

“The cleaner admitted to giving birth to a baby girl on March 1 and that she left the accommodation with the baby and stayed with her boyfriend. She said she took the baby to the hospital for medical care but as they did not have enough money they could not admit her,” testified the supervisor.

The accused told investigators that she took the baby to Zulekha Hospital where the doctor told that the baby’s medical treatment would cost Dh2,600. “As we did not have the money we took the baby back home,” JAJ said.

On the day after delivering the baby, the cleaner went to work, leaving the baby with her father. “I got a phone call from her father telling me that the baby is bleeding and seems to be dying. When I returned home she was dead. We put her body in a shoe box and buried it on Jumeira Open Beach in the evening,” she said.

On March 11, at around 11.20 am, a lifeguard on duty at the beach saw a box floating on the waves with a pink piece of cloth hanging out of it. “I tried to pick the box but could not as waves pushed it away from the beach. Later I saw the body of a baby girl on the beach. I picked the body and handed it to the police,” the lifeguard told policeman Mohammed Hussain.

JAJ identified the body of the baby girl as her daughter. She admitted to putting the baby’s body in a shoe box and burying it with her boyfriend at the open beach at 8pm on the same day the baby died.

Forensic reported that the accused is the dead baby’s biological mother who was tested negative for abortion medicine. It was also reported that the baby was born prematurely between 30 and 32 weeks of pregnancy. The cause of death was reported to be difficulty in breathing. Autopsy of the body proved that the baby was not fed.

The mother was charged, along with her accomplice, of having a sexual relation outside marriage, subjecting the life of a baby to danger by not providing her medical treatment that caused her death and hiding the body of the baby by burying it without obtaining permission from the authorities.

Children main victims as drownings increase

Of the 36 people who drowned in the first six months a quarter were under 18

By Staff

Published Saturday, August 21, 2010

Picture used for illustrative purposes only. (SUPPLIED)

The number of drowning cases in Dubai have more than doubled in the first half of this year compared to the same period last year, The National reported on Saturday.
Of the 36 people who drowned in the first six months of this year, a quarter of them were children under the age of 18.
Major Ahmed bu Ruqweba, acting head of the Dubai Rescue Police, said drowning cases involving youngsters are a big concern. “Keeping children safe is the main challenge for us. Leaving children unsupervised at a beach or pool can be deadly.”
More than 70 per cent of the drowning incidents registered in Dubai last year involved children, according to Dubai Police statistics quoted by The National.
“Negligence is a main factor behind drowning cases. In many incidents drowning occurs when a child just decides to take a swim at the beach or pool while the parents are preoccupied with something else,” said Maj bu Ruqweba.
Pools in residential buildings, hotels, offices and parks are monitored by the Public Health and Safety Department of the Dubai Municipality.
The department’s regulations state that a certified lifeguard must be present when a pool is occupied. They also require that safety equipment such as first aid kits and flotation devices must be available at all times.
But as the number of buildings with swimming pools in Dubai increases, there is immense pressure on the civic authority to ensure that the rules are being followed, he said.