Camp left my six-year-old in the pool, they somehow 'forgot' him

"I would be livid if I were you. This could have easily turned tragic," one woman wrote on the post. 

Image: IStock

A mum has shared a heartwrenching experience involving her six-year-old son who was left behind at an indoor pool during a recent day camp outing.

The forum post, which sees the mum both vent and seek advice, highlights not only her concern that the camp forgot a child under their care, but also the potential danger this negligence posed. 

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"We were only told when we went to pick him up"

"This is part rant, and part ask for advice. Me and my partner are livid," the mum began.

"My son was at a day camp today," she explains. "They took the kids from home base to an indoor pool.

"When the camp left to take the bus back, they somehow forgot my son. Very luckily, he is resourceful and saw someone nearby that he knew, and they brought him back to camp base.

"We were only told when we went to pick him up."

She then said that her son is "sad they left him", before asking for advice on how to comfort him. 

"What do we do, besides give him lots of love? What the hell do I even say when I call this camp about this?

"If the other people weren't there what if he went swimming and drowned? I am so upset and angry right now. Should we be calling the police?"

Image: IStock

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"I would raise hell and never send my kid back there"

The response in the comment section was swift and empathetic, with many people agreeing they need to hold the camp accountable.

One mum said, "Yeah, that's a big deal. If they are licensed or not, contacting the childcare licensing organisation is appropriate and consider removing the child from the program."

Reflecting on their own experience, someone who worked at a camp shared, "It was literally in the handbook to do a headcount before, during, and after every trip."

And someone else mentioned the safety protocols that should have been followed: "You need to tell the camp manager so they make sure staff are meticulously counting before they get on the bus and when they exit the bus."

Someone else wrote: "I would be livid. We have many safety protocols in place at the camp I work at to make sure this doesn't happen. Knowing how many kids we have, roll call sheets, multiple people checking.

"A person who was in charge of him dropped a giant ball! I would raise hell and never send my kid back there. Thank God someone saw him."

"I'm so sorry your son went through this"

And a different woman reminded people in the forum of the consequences of such negligence: "A local daycare forgot a kid in a bus just two days ago and they died from heat exposure. ALL childcare providers need to have a safety protocol for transporting children.

"This one got lucky and they need to refine their protocols. You’re doing your son a favour by advocating for him and you’re doing a favour to the kids that come after him. Pursue action and answers."

Others simply acknowledged the emotional toll on both the boy and the mum. "I'm so sorry your son went through this - and it's horrible for you too. I once found my son wandering in a busy car park outside a summer camp, so I can relate to the feelings - horror, anger, fear, total anxiety about leaving him again."

Then this user concluded, "I am the queen of chill. Accidents happen. I never suggest going nuclear. In this case, GO NUCLEAR."

Originally published as Camp left my six-year-old in the pool, they somehow 'forgot' him