Lehighton council weighs pool safety

Lehighton Borough Council discussed pool safety this week after a near-drowning incident.

Council read a letter from borough pool manager Tom Evans during its monthly meeting.

In the letter, Evans updated the council on last Monday’s “traumatic experience.”

On July 16, a 4-year-old boy was transported to a local hospital awake and alert after being rescued from the pool.

Crews were called to Baer Memorial Pool at 1:55 p.m. for a reported drowning. The boy was revived after someone performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation and was taken to the hospital. The boy was released several days later.

The borough pool purchased rescue equipment following the incident, and according to the manager, the staff is receiving extra CPR training.

Evans cited changing the admission rate as a possible issue for future swim dates.

“Free and $1 swims put people in jeopardy,” he said.

Evans wrote that the pool and staff can become overwhelmed with the increased attendance that a lower cost admission attracts and is concerned with swimmers’ safety as a result.

Borough Councilman Ryan Saunders said free swim was never agreed to but the night swims were at a lower rate.

“For next year it will go back to the regular rates,” he said.

Jerry McAward, owner of Lehighton Outdoor Center, was present at the meeting and offered to lend his establishment for future training of lifeguards.

“Tom said this is the first incident, and everyone is certified and up to date (at the pool),” McAward said.

“An organization like mine should assist the local pool. We’ll do live training, not a classroom, to help prepare them,” he said.

Councilman Jared McEvoy said he wanted to thank the “folks who helped rescue that boy,” and said the council will be sitting down with Evans to discuss future safety concerns.

“Safety is our top priority,” he said.

The live training is scheduled for the end of July, McAward said.

Borough Manager Nicole Beckett agreed with McAward, saying the live training “will be excellent for the guards.”

Councilman Joe Flickinger, raised the issue of Evans and other department heads not attending the monthly council meetings.

“His recommendations should be imperative in our decision for the pool,” he said.

“Two of our department heads are here, but three are not. Some of these events are timely, and I don’t think it’s fair to put the back and forth on Nicole,” he said.