I Lose John, Again

We decided to register Ann for the recreational swim league team based at DeKalb County’s Wade Walker Pool for the summer of 1988. We’d never participated on a swim team, but thought it might be fun for Ann. John was just 3 years old at the time and would turn 4 in July, so I don’t think we signed him up.

We’d heard stories that some teams had limits and filled up quickly, so we arrived early on registration day with the kids in tow. After a few minutes in line, a lady who was also in line called my name. It turned out she was a classmate of mine in high school 18 years ago. Once she identified herself (Kyle somebody) I remembered her, and we quickly engaged in the “small world” chat and what we knew about fellow classmates.

While we were chatting the registration line snaked its way into the pool area. Kids were swimming in the pool and the line went right next to the pool. I didn’t much like this as I was in street clothes and really didn’t want to get wet. It was at this time that I realized I’d lost track of John. He normally stayed right with us, but must have wandered off while I was chatting.

I started to scan all of the kids on the deck of the pool, but did not see him there. There were so many it would be easy to miss him, so I scanned again quickly. I looked out the gate towards the parking lot, but did not see him there either.

I was about to go out in the parking lot and see if he was on the other side of the building. Before I went though, I decided to take two steps over to the edge of the pool and scan all of the kids in the pool.

I didn’t see him at first, but when I looked down at my feet, he was there. John had fallen into the pool and was three feet from the edge of the pool. He was also one foot under the water looking up at me. He didn’t seem to be concerned. He was holding his breath and his legs were kicking, but he wasn’t going anywhere. He couldn’t reach the top and he couldn’t reach the bottom either.

The lifeguards didn’t notice, and I really didn’t want to create a commotion yelling for help. I also didn’t want to jump in the water fully clothed and create a commotion that way either. He was, after all, only three feet away. The problem was that I did not know how long he’d been underwater, so had no idea whether I had some time, or no time, to save him. I thought one of the kids nearby would notice and give John a push over to me, but they didn’t notice him either. I got down on my hands and knees and tried to reach John, but he was just out of reach.

I’d finally decided that John couldn’t hold his breath any longer and I was about to roll into the pool from my hands and knees when a little girl in the pool noticed me, and noticed John, and shoved him into my reach.

I pulled him out of the water and stood him up and that was that. John wasn’t the least bit bothered by the near-drowning experience. I was disturbed, but not John. He probably would have stepped right back in the pool if we’d let him.