Dad rescues son from drowning in Paya Lebar swim class

He raised concerns about the supervision of young children waiting their turn, the absence of flotation devices and the size of the submerged platform.

Ben also alleged that the instructor continued with the class after he rescued his son and did not come over to check on the boy.

“The instructor did not show any empathy to come out and check on her student at all,” he said.

He added that the school’s manager subsequently apologised.

Ben has decided not to send his son for further lessons at the school, saying he no longer feels comfortable with the safety arrangements for toddlers.

“We are reaching out to bring awareness to these conditions and to advocate for stricter safety measures so no other child faces a similar situation,” he said.

Instructor suspended as school conducts review of pool safety

In response to Stomp’s queries, Little Splashes Aquatics said it was aware of the incident and was conducting a full internal review, including examining available CCTV footage and the instructor’s actions.

The school said the class had a teacher-to-student ratio of one to three, and the pool was approximately 1m deep.

Students waiting for their turn were positioned on a submerged swimming platform approximately 0.5m high, it added.

“Based on our preliminary review, the child was waiting on the platform while the teacher was conducting a swimming activity with another student,” the school said.

“During this period, the child moved about on the platform and stepped off its edge into the water. The child’s parent subsequently entered the pool and assisted him.”

The school said police attended and reviewed the available CCTV footage. According to the school, its understanding is that police have since closed the matter and no further police action is being taken.

“Notwithstanding this, Little Splashes Aquatics’ responsibility for the safety of our students extends beyond whether any police action is taken,” it said.

As a precautionary measure, the instructor has been suspended from all teaching duties pending the completion of the school’s investigation and safety review.

The school said it was examining whether its established safety and supervision procedures were fully followed, including the instructor’s positioning and line of sight, supervision of students awaiting their turn, her response when the boy entered deeper water and the actions taken immediately afterwards.

It is also reviewing the use and positioning of its submerged teaching platforms and procedures for supervising young children while another student receives individual instruction.

Little Splashes Aquatics said it would not prejudge the instructor’s conduct while its investigation was ongoing.

“Should our review establish that any of our safety procedures were not followed, appropriate corrective and/or disciplinary action will be taken,” it said.

The school added that its findings would be used to determine whether additional safeguards, training or changes to operating procedures should be implemented across its swimming programmes.

“The safety and well-being of every child entrusted to Little Splashes Aquatics remains our highest priority,” it said.

Stomp has contacted the police for more information.

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