A father is warning others to be careful of slippery pool floors at Baywave after his three-year-old daughter slipped splitting her lip and chipping a tooth.
Cameron Drake was visiting the aquatic centre on Girven Road recently with his parents, and wife and three children five-year-old Megan, Poppy, nearly 3, and 14-month-old Bede, when two of his children fell.
Cameron says he and his family were immediately surprised by how slippery the floors around the pool were.
'Unfortunately Megan in her excitement after her first trip down the slide went running in front of us to have another go and slipped over cracking the back of her head on the floor. 'Fortunately there was no blood and after a few minutes crying she was okay to have another go.
'We told her off for running and thought nothing more of it. We obviously then kept them on a tight leash to make sure no one else fell over.
'My father said that every time he was holding Poppy's hand on the way to the slide she was falling over and only staying up because he was holding her.”
On their way to the changing room three-year-old Poppy fell face first onto the floor chipping her front tooth and cutting her lip.
Cameron asked to speak to the manager.
'I asked why the floors were so slippery. He replied that everyone complains about that and they have tried everything.”
He says the manager also told him the floors had recently been chemically cleaned, which may have contributed to the slipperiness.
'He went through all the things they had tried but basically blamed who laid that type of floor in the first place.
'I suggested then maybe they should rip it up and start again. He then said they are frustrated with how slippery it is as well and that filling out a feedback form might change things.”
Cameron says at no point was he asked to fill out an accident form.
Cameron was given a free family pass, which he is giving to his sister. He and his family have since returned to their home in England.
'My daughter now has to spend the next few years missing part of her front tooth.”
SunLive has contacted Baywave, but staff have not returned calls.
Calls to Tauranga City Aquatics Limited Chief Executive Tania Delahunty have also not been returned.
5 comments
Life is full of risks
Posted on 06-04-2013 10:50 | By Phailed
Interestingly enough, I always knew that water and floors equal slippery. Mr Drake should perhaps keep his children at home in a rubberised feather filled room to prevent any possibility of a fall leading to injury.
@phailed
Posted on 06-04-2013 11:41 | By Mr bay
Yes water and floors does equal slippery but I also have noticed that the floor at bay wave is extra slippery it must have been a poor choice in flooring. And a parent showing concern for their kids is something you obviously have no notion of.
.
Posted on 06-04-2013 12:24 | By sharon69nz
if the baywave team are getting so many complaints and are also aware of how slippery the concrete is and also saying that the wrong concrete was laid then why the heck aren't there rubber mats around all the pools. knowing that the incorrect concrete was used and nothing has been done about it must come down to them being negligent.
osh
Posted on 06-04-2013 17:57 | By OB1
If the floor is that slippery there must be a risk to the staff and as an employer the baywave management must provide a safe workig enviroment for their staff.
Agreed
Posted on 06-04-2013 20:49 | By cccsports
I'm not one for all this PC nonsense and OSH-driven society, but in this case I do agree with the complainant. The area as you get out of the hydroslide is ridiculously slippery, and when my son and I use the slide, I make sure that I hold him between the hydroslide exit and the steps to go back up. I have seen a number of kids slip and hurt themselves, and my son even asked me why they don't use a non-slip floor. Good question I think.
Leave a Comment
You must be logged in to make a comment.