Cedar Park Pool Was Fully Staffed During Drowning Incident

CEDAR PARK, TX — There were four certified lifeguards on duty — double the number minimally required — when a girl became distressed at Buttercup Pool on Tuesday before succumbing to her injuries the following day, Patch has learned.

Commander Darlene Lewis of the Cedar Park Police Department told Patch in an email four lifeguards, including one manager, were on duty at the time of the distress call that ultimately led to the girl's death. All lifeguards are City of Cedar Park employees who must complete 30 hours of training through Ellis and Associates, a national sanctioning body for the field, she said.

That training includes CPR certification, meeting the Model Aquatic Health Code established by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the commander said. Moreover, Lewis added, the city provides daily in-service training to its certified lifeguards at the beginning of every shift.

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None of those safeguards were enough to save the girl, believed to have been five years old, from being rescued in time to avoid her death. Cedar Park police responded to the pool at 411 Twin Oak Trail on Tuesday just before 3 p.m. amid reports of a possible drowning involving a child. Upon arrival, city lifeguards were in the midst of administering life-saving measures, according to a previously released press advisory press advisory from the city.

Patch sought more details related to the incident, particularly given a regional shortage of lifeguards. Austin parks officials in May issued an urgent plea for additional lifeguards ahead of the summer season, staging a four-hour hiring event and offering waivers on lifeguard certification registration fees as an added incentive.

But staffing levels seemingly weren't an issue at the 5,918-square-foot Buttercup Pool this week when the young swimmer first experienced distress. The size of the crowd wasn't problematic either, as the 130 to 140 pool visitors at the time of the ultimately deadly incident was "...well under the city's max occupancy limit of 200," Lewis told Patch.

The commander said the parks department and fire marshal work together to establish the pool capacity. "However, this capacity at Buttercup Pool (200) is significantly lower than what is allowable by State law (Texas State Pool Code, Title 25 of the Texas Administrative Code Chapter 265)," Lewis added.

According to media reports, the young victim was part of a group of children attending the High Hopes Summer Camp, a faith-based sports camp in Cedar Park. Ryan Campbell, the president of the camp, issued a prepared statement in the aftermath of the incident: "We are extremely focused on reviewing our safety procedures in general and this incident in detail. While this review takes place, we are limiting our activities to our primary campus."

It's unclear how many adults from the camp were supervising the children when the girl started to drown this week. It's also unknown if she was found submerged or rescued while trying to treat water: "We are in the early stages of an ongoing investigation and are working hard to establish the cause and circumstances of this serious water-related incident that involves a minor," Lewis said in an answer asking for such specifics.

Buttercup Poo will remain closed until further notice while a police investigation continues, Lewis said. As they seek answers, police urge anyone with first-hand information about the incident to contact Sgt. Kristy Whitley at (512) 260-4816.

To her knowledge, Lewis said this week's incident marks the first time a person has drowned at the facility: "We do not have any reported incidents of drownings at this location," she wrote.

For more information on avoiding drowning among children, read "Swim Lessons: When to Start & What Parents Should Know" by clicking on the healthychildren.org website. Austin-based group "Colin's Hope" also provides resources and guidance in preventing childhood drownings. The group was born of tragedy, after 4-year-old Colin Holst of Austin drowned while swimming in a swimming pool among family and friends.