KristenR Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 (edited) All ended up well but--- I was at the local outlet mall and happened to see two little boys walking around one of those water fountain areas. This outlet mall has them all over. Small pools of water with a fountain in the middle. I thought to myself that the boys looked young and I scanned the crowd to see where their mom and dad were watching them from. Oddly- I didn't see anyone paying attention to them. At the time I was walking with my girls and their uncle. He had my littlest one on his shoulders. I kept walking assuming the parents must be around and I just didn't see them. All of the sudden Uncle Bob took off running with my littlest one bobbing along on his shoulders. I followed his eyes and saw the little boy had fallen into the fountain and couldn't get up. He was so young he had no idea to try and sit up. He was flat on his back and his face was under while he thrashed about. It all happened so fast- I didn't even hear a splash! I yelled at my other two girls to stay where they were and dropped my bags and kicked my flip-flops off. I had the foresight to think that my flip-flops would probably be slippery in the water. Bob was reaching for the kid but he was just out of reach and I was slightly panicked that my little one would topple over his head as he was reaching for the boy. So I ran and imagined I could easily jump in the fountain up to my knees and scoop the boy up. What I didn't imagine is that the bottom of the water fountain was SO RIDICULOUSLY SLIPPERY that I would literally fall face first into the darn thing. Next thing I know I'm on my belly next to the boy so I scoop him up and hold him out of the water. Bob tried grabbing him from my slippery hands as I tried to get steady myself on my knees in that slick fountain. A few seconds later the mom comes over and grabs her son. The boy was tiny. My littlest is only 20 months and he really seemed littler than that. The boy was too young to know how to swim but the entire episode made me realize - even a young kid with swimming skills would have a hard time righting themselves in that situation. The bottom of the fountain felt like it was covered with oil. I had a hard time getting out myself. For a young kid- it could be really dangerous. Not to mention I never heard him go in and if it wasn't for Bob noticing when he went over who knows when someone would have noticed. There really wasn't that many people around as it was almost 8 at night. Anyway- just be careful around those things. It might only be a foot or two of water but it was the slipperiness of the thing that really gets you. Edited April 4, 2012 by KristenR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa in Australia Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 how awful! so good you happened to be walking past. All's well that ends well, but boy how close! I wonder how they can build things like that with no safety railing. Especially in a shopping centre. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donna Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 Wow! Glad to hear it all ended well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ErinE Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 Thank goodness you were there. These things can happen so fast. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmyontheFarm Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 Thank you to you and your brother. It makes me happy to know you saved that little boy. I hope his mother was grateful! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer in MI Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 Oh my goodness! Thank God you guys were there. I'm curious as to the mother's reaction too? I know from experience that splashes are rarely heard when a child slips underwater. I got out of a pool where I had been beside my dd. She was in an intertube under her arms. I turned for a second - literally - to grab the sunscreen and turned around and she was underwater upsidedown. It was silent. It was SOOOOOO scary. :grouphug: I sure hope the mother was thankful! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NanceXToo Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 Wow...thank goodness you were there! If you didn't already, this should be reported to someone high up in mall personnel. They should have to have some sort of safety railing around these things! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KristenR Posted April 4, 2012 Author Share Posted April 4, 2012 I hope his mother was grateful! Oh my goodness! Thank God you guys were there. I'm curious as to the mother's reaction too? :grouphug: I sure hope the mother was thankful! That's the slightly odd part. The mom grabbed the boy right away and tried calming him down. He was sobbing and scared. The dad stayed away for a little while. Bob helped me out of the pool and then the dad came over and his first words to me were, "Wow- did you mean to dive in like that?" I was a bit flabbergasted and said, "No, it was a bit more slippery than I had anticipated." Bob noticed my knee was bruised and scratched up. I must have hit a rock or lightning fixture on the bottom of the fountain. Anyway, the dad said thanks and then continued to hang back and didn't go up to his wife or son. They even left the poor older kid (maybe 4) off to the side while he looked scared and wondered what the heck was going on. The mom did utter the words thank you a few times. Then they walked off and I found a bench to try and dry off. I had other strangers come up to me right away and seem more grateful. Not that I was doing it for attention mind you- it was a normal reaction anyone would have had. I didn't plan on diving in like a slip n' slide - that was just poor footing on my part. But I was a bit caught off at the blase attitude the parents exhibited. Bob thinks they were in the middle of a fight or something because it was just a bit weird. It might explain why they weren't around to begin with. On our way out of the mall we walked past them and they avoided eye contact and walked by. Odd. My daughters on the other hand were thoroughly impressed by my adventure. They keep telling everyone about it. And their favorite part is that I got soaked- even my underwear. They just LOVE adding that in. Something about the word underwear throws my kids into hysterics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garga Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 The parent's reactions sound sad. Were they in some sort of shock from it? Had the seriousness of it not sunk in? Maybe they didn't realize he was underwater. Maybe they thought he was just sitting in there and thought you guys were helping him out and you fell in. Maybe they didn't realize you'd saved his very life! Here's hoping they just didn't understand you saved his life. Because if they did understand that, they should have been weeping and hugging you in thanks and offering to buy you dinner or something. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jelbe5 Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 You are a hero!!!! No excuse, but perhaps the parents were nervous authorities would become involved and the fact they were not watching their kids would be exposed. Sad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle My Bell Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 My thoughts are that the parents were probably embarrassed by the situation, hence avoiding your gaze or conversation. I know I would be if I had not been watching my child and someone had to rescue them. Let's hope this is a wakeup call to watch their children better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JessReplanted Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 That's the slightly odd part. The mom grabbed the boy right away and tried calming him down. He was sobbing and scared. The dad stayed away for a little while. Bob helped me out of the pool and then the dad came over and his first words to me were, "Wow- did you mean to dive in like that?" I was a bit flabbergasted and said, "No, it was a bit more slippery than I had anticipated." Bob noticed my knee was bruised and scratched up. I must have hit a rock or lightning fixture on the bottom of the fountain. Anyway, the dad said thanks and then continued to hang back and didn't go up to his wife or son. They even left the poor older kid (maybe 4) off to the side while he looked scared and wondered what the heck was going on. The mom did utter the words thank you a few times. Then they walked off and I found a bench to try and dry off. I had other strangers come up to me right away and seem more grateful. Not that I was doing it for attention mind you- it was a normal reaction anyone would have had. I didn't plan on diving in like a slip n' slide - that was just poor footing on my part. But I was a bit caught off at the blase attitude the parents exhibited. Bob thinks they were in the middle of a fight or something because it was just a bit weird. It might explain why they weren't around to begin with. On our way out of the mall we walked past them and they avoided eye contact and walked by. Odd. My daughters on the other hand were thoroughly impressed by my adventure. They keep telling everyone about it. And their favorite part is that I got soaked- even my underwear. They just LOVE adding that in. Something about the word underwear throws my kids into hysterics. My daughter - 3 at the time - once walked straight into a swimming pool and started sinking. I saw her, and started screaming and dashed into the pool. Another woman also ran in and tried to help. I'm sure she heard me use curse words that I never usually say. :blushing: Once my daughter was back in my arms again, I was a complete basket case. I'm sure that I walked out of the pool without saying anything to the woman. I was so embarrassed and I felt like such an idiot - and I kept thinking about how my daughter could have drowned! At the time, the last thing I was thinking about was the woman who tried to help. After I recovered, I did go over and thank her though. (Although I still felt like an idiot). All of that to say that the mom of the child you saved was probably in shock. You did a wonderful thing and I know that she appreciates it!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigMamaBird Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 Hooray Kristen!! Way to go for literally jumping in when you were needed! Thanks for the reminder. I have an adventurous, no-fear three year old and I can see him getting into a fountain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spryte Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 Wow! So glad you were there, and quick thinking! I think the parents were probably embarrassed and in shock. That's my pollyanna take on it, anyway. :) Thank you for the warning. We have a lot of those fountains here - all the shopping areas seem to have water areas now that invite the littles. My daughters on the other hand were thoroughly impressed by my adventure. They keep telling everyone about it. And their favorite part is that I got soaked- even my underwear. They just LOVE adding that in. Something about the word underwear throws my kids into hysterics. Right there. That is really cool! And it will stick with your family. The story of mom diving belly first into a pool of 10 foot deep water to rescue the little one (yes, the pool will get deeper!)... DH once grabbed a friend of DS's out of a creek - he had gone under suddenly, caught in a current - and DS loves that story of Dad wading in, getting soaked and being a superhero. It's one of those stories that sticks around and gets bigger and better with DS's retellings. :grouphug: to you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KristenR Posted April 4, 2012 Author Share Posted April 4, 2012 You guys are probably right. They were probably still surprised by the speed in which everything happened. I'll go Pollyanna in my approach to thinking about it to. :) I'm sure a bit of it was embarrassment because they were not around and the kids were on their own. Such little ones too. I will also look into contacting the mall and letting them know what happened on their property. I don't know if they would make rails or anything but maybe just having it on record somewhere would help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justamouse Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 Awesome first responder skills! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JFSinIL Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 I will also look into contacting the mall and letting them know what happened on their property. I don't know if they would make rails or anything but maybe just having it on record somewhere would help. I AGREE!!!! They need to know that not only is it a lawsuit waiting to happen - but a child could DIE!!! Tell them you will be taking your tale to the local newspapers if the fountains isn't fenced off or made otherwise inaccessible to small kids. Obviously the parent's are not going to bother to complain. Our local library (older building, not the current wonderful library) had a staggered-level "pit" in the kid's reading room. Great seating for small programs - but easy to fall into. Our friend's dd fell, was knocked out - her dad the paramedic threatened a lawsuit IF the pit wasn't covered over asap! The pit was removed, lawsuit not filed - kid was (luckily) fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asta Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 Wow...thank goodness you were there! If you didn't already, this should be reported to someone high up in mall personnel. They should have to have some sort of safety railing around these things! Why? Why must the whole world be legislated and padded? The solution isn't railings, the solution is parenting. a Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mudboots Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 My dd got separated from me for 60 seconds in the mall, with a crowd of people between us. (A friend was with me, and there was momentary confusion over who had her.) When I got there, a handful of people had grouped around my crying dd, trying to be sure she was safe. I was so terrified that all I could do was hug her tightly. I regret that I didn't say a word of thanks to the people around her. I wish I could go back and tell them how extremely grateful I am, but my mind was frozen at that point. If my kid had fallen into a fountain... I would have been so angry with myself and so scared that I don't think I could have thanked anyone, either. I'm sure the parents are far more grateful than they could express at the time. You also never know how this will affect them. That's a pretty awful thing to happen. I won't go back to the mall again, ever, and I won't go to any busy place with a person who might distract me from keeping an eye on my kids myself. You never know how this experience might change that family. And, by the way, that was pretty heroic of you! :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 My daughters on the other hand were thoroughly impressed by my adventure. They keep telling everyone about it. And their favorite part is that I got soaked- even my underwear. They just LOVE adding that in. Something about the word underwear throws my kids into hysterics. :lol: I'm glad it ended well & that you & your brother were there to help. :grouphug: And, since summer is nearing for those of us in the northern hemisphere, I'll repost an article an article about what drowning looks like.... It's not yelling, waving for help, etc.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 Sorry. Double-post. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fairfarmhand Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 :lol: I'm glad it ended well & that you & your brother were there to help. :grouphug: And, since summer is nearing for those of us in the northern hemisphere, I'll repost an article an article about what drowning looks like.... It's not yelling, waving for help, etc.... my son was sitting right next to me on the pool steps. All of a sudden my dd's friend had him up out of the water while he was gasping for air. It happened so quickly and quietly that I had no idea that he'd slipped into the water. Dd's friend was so proud of herself and so was I. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scrappyhappymama Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 :lol: I'm glad it ended well & that you & your brother were there to help. :grouphug: And, since summer is nearing for those of us in the northern hemisphere, I'll repost an article an article about what drowning looks like.... It's not yelling, waving for help, etc.... Thanks for posting this! I was just going to go looking for it as well. So scary, but a great reminder. To the OP, thanks for being a hero! Hope you're not too sore today. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rieshy Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 My daughters on the other hand were thoroughly impressed by my adventure. They keep telling everyone about it. And their favorite part is that I got soaked- even my underwear. They just LOVE adding that in. Something about the word underwear throws my kids into hysterics. :lol::lol: I agree with the other poster- please lets not go fence crazy. A fence won't keep little ones safe if the parents are not watching them- all of mine could climb anything created by man before they were old enough to talk. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thescrappyhomeschooler Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 Thank goodness you were there. They always say people don't realize when someone is drowning because it happens quickly and quietly. You prevented a tragedy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swellmomma Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 My heart was in my throat while reading that. OP you are amazing. And your kids have every right to be boasting and proud of you. The actions you took will stay with them forever. My kids still talk about the day I bought hot chocolate for a homeless man that was standing in the median with a will work for food sign. By the time I got back to him he was gone. The kids didn't care. 5 years later they STILL talk about the day mom tried to help that man with a hot chocolate. If my kids think that is such an amazing thing that they still talk about it, think about how long your kids will be talking about their mom being a real hero and saving a baby's life. As for the parents. I hope that they were just in shock. Like a pp maybe they had been fighting and were filled with guilt with the thoughts of what could have happened if you had not been there. If they didn't have those thoughts before leaving the mall I am sure the mom at least was racked with them all night. If it was my little one I would be seeing images of him being pulled out of the water everytime I closed my eyes with the thoughts of what if. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparrow Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 Awesome job, Kristen! I'm sure the parents were a little shell-shocked and embarrassed. Hopefully, they will keep a better eye on their little ones after this incident! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tammyla Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 That child is lucky you and Bob were there. Wow...:confused: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aelwydd Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 My thoughts are that the parents were probably embarrassed by the situation, hence avoiding your gaze or conversation. I know I would be if I had not been watching my child and someone had to rescue them. Let's hope this is a wakeup call to watch their children better. I'm shameless then. Years ago, when my son was just 2, a friend and I took him to a small water park. We kept an eye on him about 5 feet away, while he played in the shallow zero-grade entry end. We got to chatting though, and while distracted, he apparently saw some older kids zip by, and decided to go join the party, wherever that was. It was that fast. One minute here, next minute....what??!! So, I looked up, and he was gone. Disappeared. We immediately began searching for him in the area, and some of the other moms saw our no doubt, barely-concealed panic and joined in. After maybe 2 minutes, I told a life guard, "Hey, my 2 year old is missing, he can't swim, he doesn't have a life jacket on, and there's a million kids in these pools!" They locked down the park, and I took off to the changing rooms to see if he went there, while my friend continued searching the pools. It took 15 minutes to find him. Longest 15 minutes of my life! He was found at the top of the biggest water slide. By a mom who saw him and was like, "What's this baby doing up here?" I thank God every day for that woman's attention! She most likely saved my son's life. Had he gone down that slide, he would have been jetted out into a 4 foot deep, churning pool, and likely sunk to the bottom. There was no assigned life guard to that end. Do you know, when that woman came up with my son in her arms, I practically kissed her and blubbered my thanks all over her nice bathing suit. I was SO thankful. Let everyone think I was a terrible, un-attentive mom. For those few minutes, I had been! Everyone knows that it takes just a few minutes for a toddler to drown, and that it's stupid to leave a young child who cannot swim unattended by water. I accept that judgment, because I totally agree with it. And I would tell that woman every day for the rest of my life THANK YOU for rescuing my son from the consequences of my error. So, all that to say, I don't understand the parents' reaction at all! You saved their baby. If it was my child, you'd have my eternal gratitude (and probably some embarrassing moments of being gratefully kissed and/or hugged effusively.) :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BatmansWife Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 On our way out of the mall we walked past them and they avoided eye contact and walked by. Odd. Yes, that is odd. But, on a happier note............yay for Kristen the HERO!! :hurray: :thumbup: :party: :cheers2: Those are all the appropriate smileys......and you deserve them. Check out the tag! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BatmansWife Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 I'm shameless then. Years ago, when my son was just 2, a friend and I took him to a small water park. We kept an eye on him about 5 feet away, while he played in the shallow zero-grade entry end. We got to chatting though, and while distracted, he apparently saw some older kids zip by, and decided to go join the party, wherever that was. It was that fast. One minute here, next minute....what??!! So, I looked up, and he was gone. Disappeared. We immediately began searching for him in the area, and some of the other moms saw our no doubt, barely-concealed panic and joined in. After maybe 2 minutes, I told a life guard, "Hey, my 2 year old is missing, he can't swim, he doesn't have a life jacket on, and there's a million kids in these pools!" They locked down the park, and I took off to the changing rooms to see if he went there, while my friend continued searching the pools. It took 15 minutes to find him. Longest 15 minutes of my life! He was found at the top of the biggest water slide. By a mom who saw him and was like, "What's this baby doing up here?" I thank God every day for that woman's attention! She most likely saved my son's life. Had he gone down that slide, he would have been jetted out into a 4 foot deep, churning pool, and likely sunk to the bottom. There was no assigned life guard to that end. Do you know, when that woman came up with my son in her arms, I practically kissed her and blubbered my thanks all over her nice bathing suit. I was SO thankful. Let everyone think I was a terrible, un-attentive mom. For those few minutes, I had been! Everyone knows that it takes just a few minutes for a toddler to drown, and that it's stupid to leave a young child who cannot swim unattended by water. I accept that judgment, because I totally agree with it. And I would tell that woman every day for the rest of my life THANK YOU for rescuing my son from the consequences of my error. So, all that to say, I don't understand the parents' reaction at all! You saved their baby. If it was my child, you'd have my eternal gratitude (and probably some embarrassing moments of being gratefully kissed and/or hugged effusively.) :D Don't beat yourself up about it. All parents have moments when they aren't watching their little ones 24/7. Your story could have ended up worse.....but thankfully it didn't. I can just imagine how frightening that was! But, you've learned from it and your story is a good reminder to all of us too. My dd works at a 50's diner and they are just putting in outdoor seating....with a large fountain. She said all the employees were saying that they are sure some kid is gonna fall in that fountain. So, I'll remind her of these stories so that she can keep an eye on little kids near the fountain. Because, let's face it....when parents are sitting down to eat and chatting....they don't always keep their eye on their kids. It happens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mama_Rana Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 So, all that to say, I don't understand the parents' reaction at all! You saved their baby. If it was my child, you'd have my eternal gratitude (and probably some embarrassing moments of being gratefully kissed and/or hugged effusively.) :D My son, who was 6 at the time, almost drowned in my friend's pool. I was pretty much frozen in fear, and she jumped in and saved him. I WAS grateful, but I was also pretty much still frozen while my mind played over and over again what could have been. I did mutter thanks, but I had a very hard time verbalizing anything coherent. I did later thank her both publicly and privately a little more coherently, which I was able to do since she was a friend. I don't know if this is why these people responded the way they did. But everyone processes these things differently. I'm glad the OP and and Bob were there at the right time to help this little boy. :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SweetMissMagnolia Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 oh man scary..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JennifersLost Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 I'm so glad you were there and so glad you two DID something! I think in those situations the parents can be so simultaneously shocked, scared, embarrassed, horrified - that it just all cancels out and they appear numb. I know when something truly awful happens to me, I go completely calm - almost robotic - until it's completely over and I'm home by myself. Then I get hysterical. I'm sure both parents of that little boy are really grateful to you. I had a slightly similar thing happen once at the beach where I watched a toddler - completely unsteady on his feet - wander closer and closer to the ocean waves while his mother was chatting with friends, completely oblivious. He was at the water line, and a wave was coming, and I dashed over and scooped him up just before it hit. He would have been washed away. My sudden movement caught the mother's eye and she turned around just in time to see some stranger run out of nowhere and grab her child. It took a few minutes to sort it out, but I think my sudden movement scared her so badly she couldn't even "see" that I'd just probably saved her kid's life. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scuff Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 :lol::lol: I agree with the other poster- please lets not go fence crazy. A fence won't keep little ones safe if the parents are not watching them- all of mine could climb anything created by man before they were old enough to talk. :lol: isn't this so true! We have no doubt why children started being called kids. Our toddler's main goal in life is to get as high as she can and eat anything she sees! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hwin Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 People respond differently. Thank God you were there. *chills* Our local used to have fountains and they filled them in with dirt. They are now planters. There was a brick wall around them to keep kids out, but the kids used to climb up on the wall and run around like it was a balance beam. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whereneverever Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 I don't think their reaction is really that odd. I bet they were just shocked and in fear of what could have happened. A few years ago we were at a lake with friends and one of their kids fell in, and went under. And stayed under. The parents didn't MOVE, they just stared! I ended up jumping in fully clothed to fish their child out. It took them a long time to actually thank me... They were just so shook up. Good job, mama! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 Agreed they were probably just shocked. I once saved a toddler who was swept away in a river current. There was a festival and lots of people were playing in the water's edge - this little boy just got in too far and was about to be carried away or pulled under. I dashed after and grabbed him and brought him to the shore and the parents acted pretty much exactly he same way. A vague thanks and then walked away and didn't meet my eyes. I really think you're so focused on your kid that you don't know what to say for a goodly while. On the flip side, my kid once fell in and was pulled out of a fountain. He was fine - he was definitely not drowning, his head was up and he was just surprised. But the rescuer wnted to lecture me for several minutes and we had to walk away finally. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nono Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 So, all that to say, I don't understand the parents' reaction at all! You saved their baby. If it was my child, you'd have my eternal gratitude (and probably some embarrassing moments of being gratefully kissed and/or hugged effusively.) :D The OP reported that the father talked to her and said thank you. She said the mother said thanks more than once. I can think of a lot of reasons they might have been distant. Some are good reasons, some aren't. Doesn't matter. They said thank you. Even if they are just lousy parents, they met the code of the civil world and said "Thanks." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aelwydd Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 The OP reported that the father talked to her and said thank you. She said the mother said thanks more than once. I can think of a lot of reasons they might have been distant. Some are good reasons, some aren't. Doesn't matter. They said thank you. Even if they are just lousy parents, they met the code of the civil world and said "Thanks." Different strokes for different folks. I was just expressing that for me, relief was the overwhelming emotion. Also, profound thankfulness! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NanceXToo Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 (edited) Why? Why must the whole world be legislated and padded? The solution isn't railings, the solution is parenting. a Because it's stupid to have open bodies of water in places where small children spend lots of time? And having a safety railing around said open bodies of water seems pretty logical to me? It's very "easy" to make a breezy comment about how "the solution is parenting" but in reality it's easy for children to slip out of your sight for a few seconds, and all it takes is a few seconds for a young child to slip silently under even a small amount of water where a parent might not see or hear them. And if they die because of that, a child's life is gone forever, a parent's life is destroyed forever, a mall is probably sued, and flippant comments in hindsight along the lines of, "well, they should have parented better" wouldn't change the tragic outcome. A guard rail might though. Edited April 4, 2012 by NanceXToo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KnitWit Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 Why? Why must the whole world be legislated and padded? The solution isn't railings, the solution is parenting. a Agree! Well, parenting and grownups who walk through the mall texting and end up in the fountain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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