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Son's drowning at Great America - a mother's anguish
San Jose Mercury News ^ | 7/13/07 | Brandon Bailey

Posted on 07/14/2007 9:24:08 AM PDT by Santa Fe_Conservative

Yolanda Flores was sitting by the wave pool at Great America on Thursday when she asked her 8-year-old daughter Jasmine to tell her 4-year-old brother Carlos it was time to get out of the water. A moment later, she heard her Jasmine's screams.

"He was just face down," Jasmine Flores told the Mercury News Friday night, sitting in the lap of her grandmother during an interview at her grandmother's San Jose home. "Other people were passing by him."

Nobody seemed to notice Carlos was in trouble, Jasmine said. Wrapping the little girl in her arms, the girl's grandmother, Delia Mendoza, finished the story. Jasmine's screams drew a lifeguard's attention, Mendoza said, but by then it was too late.

The drowning of Carlos Alejandro Flores - who couldn't wait to turn 5 so he could play on a real baseball team - left his family looking for answers and cast a pall over the Great America theme park Friday, as investigators sought an explanation for the child's death.

A state lawmaker announced that she would look into whether California needs tougher rules for wave pools and similar attractions.

While family members were making funeral arrangements for Carlos, the Santa Clara theme park was turning other families away from its newest attraction, a half-acre wave pool that opened in the spring.

Great America sets no age or height limits for the wave pool, nor does it require children to wear life jackets or to be accompanied by adults. California also does not require such restrictions, although at least one state, Ohio, does.

(Excerpt) Read more at mercurynews.com ...


TOPICS: Local News
KEYWORDS: drowning; greatamerica; illegals
This story was posted by another person but then pulled due to no link. While the mother is blaming the lifeguards for unsupervision, sounds like she is guilty of it as well.
1 posted on 07/14/2007 9:24:10 AM PDT by Santa Fe_Conservative
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To: Santa Fe_Conservative
While the mother is blaming the lifeguards for unsupervision, sounds like she is guilty of it as well.

Oh Christ, give the mom a break. She just lost her son.

Sometimes accidents happen.

Now I'm counting down until somebody asks of the family's immigration status...

4, 3, 2, 1...

2 posted on 07/14/2007 9:29:49 AM PDT by Drew68
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To: Santa Fe_Conservative

A wave pool is one in which big waves are generated, right? Would it not occur to most sentient beings that putting a small kid in such a pool meant you had to be there to supervise?


3 posted on 07/14/2007 9:38:02 AM PDT by ikka
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To: Drew68

...0. Not that illegals have a commodity on bad parenting skills, just curious. BTW why don’t parents watch their children anymore? It’s everyone else’s responsibility; hence, “people were passing by”.


4 posted on 07/14/2007 9:40:38 AM PDT by FReepapalooza
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To: Drew68

“She just lost her son.”

Due to her own negligence.

“Now I’m counting down until somebody asks of the family’s immigration status..”

Notice the irony? You were the first...LOL.


5 posted on 07/14/2007 9:56:18 AM PDT by indcons (Liberals, circa 1960s, spat at the troops. Now, they shoot to kill instead.)
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To: Drew68

Accidents happen, but she is suing them for their supposed negligence.

If it was her accident, she should consider suing herself.


6 posted on 07/14/2007 9:58:59 AM PDT by ConservativeMind
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To: Drew68
Oh Christ, give the mom a break.

She deserves no break. A four-year-old should be watched like a hawk in any potentially dangerous environment. She was responsible for the death of her child.

7 posted on 07/14/2007 10:30:44 AM PDT by Jeff Chandler (A man who will not defend himself does not deserve to be defended by others.)
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Comment #8 Removed by Moderator

Comment #9 Removed by Moderator

To: Santa Fe_Conservative

I read the article this morning when the headline caught my eye. The reporter’s bias was obvious, and the article read more like an opening statement in a civil lawsuit. Most of the article implied that it was everybody’s fault except the mother, that there should be state regulations mandating life jackets and adult supervision for children in the pool.

Two short paragraphs towards the end of the article mention that there were signs near the pool that included the warning, “Adult supervision is recommended. Small children must not be left unattended at any time.” And another sign that reminds patrons that life jackets are available for free.

We shouldn’t need government regulations to force a parent to put a life jacket on a 4-yr old and then keep an eye on him. It should be common sense.


10 posted on 07/14/2007 4:38:15 PM PDT by 04-Bravo
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To: Drew68
give the mom a break

Not a chance. She should have been with the 4 year old, and watching the 8 year old. If the 4 year old wasn't an expert swimmer, he should have been in a lifejacket as well.

11 posted on 07/14/2007 11:07:41 PM PDT by PAR35
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To: Santa Fe_Conservative

I was at this very wave pool last weekend. Lots of lifeguards around. The pool is pretty big. A 4 year old should not have been left alone in the pool.


12 posted on 07/15/2007 6:40:44 PM PDT by dc27
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To: Santa Fe_Conservative
A state lawmaker announced that she would look into whether California needs tougher rules for wave pools and similar attractions.

and

Great America sets no age or height limits for the wave pool, nor does it require children to wear life jackets or to be accompanied by adults. California also does not require such restrictions, although at least one state, Ohio, does.

Why do we need MORE rules concerning the "safety" of children when it boils down to the parent abdicating her responsibility. Her 4-yr old son was unattended in a wave pool. Small children need to be accompanied everywhere and watched like a hawk. To rely on the lifeguards to do her job is inexcusable.

My sympathies go out to the family and the poor little boy who lost his life. However, Great America is NOT responsible for this nightmare. The mother is.

13 posted on 07/16/2007 9:14:04 AM PDT by Heartland Mom (Build the fence, secure our borders, deport illegals - Protect our sovereignty!)
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