New York Schools Chancellor Changes Field Trip Rules in Response to Drowning
On June 22, 2010 a New York sixth grader tragically drowned on a school field trip to a Long Island beach. Although the student did not know how to swim, she was allowed to go in the water where she was caught in a riptide and drowned. Posted signs warned that there was no lifeguard on duty that day and the group of 24 students was being supervised by only three adults, just one of whom was a certificated teacher at the school.
In response to the unfortunate incident, The New York Times reports that the city launched an investigation and now, one year later, the New York City schools chancellor has issued new regulations regarding field trips. Chancellor Dennis M. Walcott wanted to tighten the rules saying that, “While we can never change history, we can take action to prevent future tragedies”.
The new regulations require that four adults are present on school trips that involve swimming and that a lifeguard is on duty. In addition, students must wear life vests when participating in school-related water activities, including boating and tubing. As an added measure, the school involved in the incident is now testing all students for swimming competency at the beginning of the school year and offering lessons to those that need them. Another proviso in the new regulations is that permission slips must be issued for every trip and any risks must be disclosed to parents.
As the weather warms up and end-of-the-year field trips approach, it is important to keep swimming safety in mind. If you or your loved one has been injured in a New York near-drowning accident, you may be entitled to compensation. Call the New York swimming pool accident lawyers at Wingate, Russotti & Shapiro for a free consultation at 1-212-222-4336.
