The Cincinnati Recreation Commission is making changes to its city pool policy following the drowning of a 10-year-old Walnut Hills boy at Bush Pool this month, and recommendations by City Council.
Effective immediately, children ages 7 to 11 have to be supervised by an adult. Particulars spelled out in a memo say this:
To clarify, children ages 7-11 cannot participate in open swim times at CRC pools without an adult. Children enrolled in swim lessons and CRC aquatic programs can still participate without the parent present if parent has registered and authorized their child be enrolled in program. Children ages 7-1 1 who are in a CRC day camp are actively supervised by CRC day camp staff that are 18 or older so can continue to swim during open swim.
In addition, CRC is contracting with the Redwoods Group to provide an audit of CRC’s policies and procedures related to the aquatics program. The audit will begin this week and is expected to make recommendations by the middle of July.
City Council began discussion last week
A motion, requiring children ages 11 and under have adult supervision at city swimming pools, passed unanimously by city council last Wednesday, comes after the drowning death June 18 of 10-year-old Tyrell Wyche who was unsupervised at the city pool in Walnut Hills. It was the first drowning death at a Cincinnati city pool since 1992.
