A group of swimming instructors refused to come to the aid of a toddler stuck in a railing after saying it was "not their job" to help him.
Loved ones of the struggling three-year-old child became incensed after SwimWell staff members refused to intervene during the incident on September 12 at the Keith Spry Pool in Wellington, New Zealand.
According to Stuff.co.nz, a family friend had hurriedly approached three school instructors preparing for the start of lessons after the girl's father struggled to free their three-year-old from a railing surrounding the pool.
But documents from a local government incident reveal that staff declined to help, with one section reading: “She asked them to help but was told ‘not my job luv’. This had caused the family friend to start yelling.”
The instructors were even said to have “turned their backs” on the family friend after giving their answer, leaving her and the girl's dad upset.
She then asked for a metal pole to rescue her with herself, with the father eventually releasing the girl after getting into the pool.
No lifeguards are thought to have been present around the section of the pool the time.
Council documents described the incident as “serious”, and blasted the instructors' response as “totally unacceptable”.
The child had previously been known to suffer anxiety around water.
Wellington City Council said staff had been spoken to by management from the SwimWell organisation following the incident.
A statement said: "The council takes [the] safety of Wellingtonians using our facilities seriously. It is important that staff, instructors, and parents/guardians play a role in keeping children safe while in the water.”
“Lifeguards need to be proactive and liaise with coaches, swimmers, LTS [Learn To Swim] instructors and participants when needed as they can assist with rescues and treatment if required.”
Wellington is one of a number of cities in New Zealand to have suffered from a nationwide shortage of lifeguards since the Coronavirus pandemic, with one major in the city closed during the summer due to lack of available staff.
