Was the Blue Flots campsite, in La Teste-de-Buch, was monitored when a 4-year-old boy drowned on Saturday August 9? The question arose after the drama and the answer is “no”. One can imagine that the establishment was in the middle of a rush when this family from Loire-Atlantique arrived, one evening of tourist hunting, “but anyway, nobody is planned to monitor swimming, explains Franck Couderc, the director. Normally, the safety instructions are sufficiently clear. »»
From an official source, it is confirmed that the only obligation is to display clearly that swimming is not monitored and that it takes place under the responsibility of those who go there. The 2004 decree relating to pool safety effectively imposes a drowning prevention system consisting of a barrier, coverage, shelter or alarm, adapted to the protection of children under 5 years of age, but it does not impose the presence of surveillance staff.
Pool closed until further notice
At La Teste-de-Buch, it was only a few minutes for the drama to occur, in a basin whose maximum depth is 1.25 m, and while the little boy was in the company of his 9-year-old brother. Have exceptional circumstances played? This is what will have to determine the current investigation. The police have already come to the campsite three times, whose swimming pool remains closed until further notice. “And anyway, I’m not sure that people want to bathe in a pool where a small child died a few days earlier,” said the mayor, Patrick Davet.
In addition to the autopsy which should confirm death by drowning, investigations will focus on two questions. The first is to know if there has been a lack of supervision of supervisors. If the answer is yes, will remain to demonstrate that it is a criminal fault. Then, the investigators of the Arcachon police station will have to check if the swimming pool meets the standards in force.
