No Procedures for Missing Children at Kalahari Resort

I've been to this resort with friends and family and on our own. In
fact, we have a trip planned there for later next month. I think it's
a great place that takes many precautions to protect their guests and
keep everyone safe so I can't hold my tongue on this any longer.

I've spoke with several employees and lifeguards during my visits
there and found it to be a very well run, organized and professional
place. A couple of things that I have found out. The lifeguards are
(and must be as a condition of employment) trained and certified in
life saving techniques and first aid. They are "zoned" in areas in
and around each attraction to ensure proper behavior is observed both
inside and outside the pool area (no running, no horseplay in pools,
etc.). They are zoned as such to ensure proper supervision (coverage)
of the swimmers in their area. Leaving an area un-manned could result
in someone in need not getting the assistance that they require.

In the wave pool, lifeguards are positioned in the pool in the shallow
area and all along the outside ledge looking down from above 6-10
feet into the pool. I would argue that if there had actually been a
child in distress, they would have know it and reacted before a parent
even knew something was wrong. Their view from the top edge of the
pool is much different than someone inside the pool, making it easy to
spot something going wrong. Additionally - if the lifeguards left
their zones to locate a (or every) child that wandered away from their
parent, many other swimmers (children, guests - whatever you want to
call them) would be put in jeopardy due to the lessened supervision.

As far as exits go - there are several emergency exits throughout the
water park area. These doors are marked and armed so that if someone
used them as an exit an alarm will sound. There is only ONE main
entrance/exit to the water park manned by staff and an extensive
camera system. That being said - in reality - only the person at the
entrance/exit would need to know about a missing child so they can
monitor exiting guests. Speaking of cameras by the way - they are all
over the park. They even feed in to your in-room TV and you can watch
park activity when your in your room!

Sooo...I believe the Resort is well equipped to handle any emergency
situations that may arise. Was this an emergency? Maybe to one
panic-stricken mother. I may sound uncaring but not to me though.
During stays here I see children of all ages wandering all over all
areas of the park unsupervised without parents. Please don't shut
down the water slides, clear guests out of pools or bring my vacation
to a stand still because you can't keep track of your child And
please don't blame the resort - they had things covered - your child
is probably safer at their water park than they are in your own
backyard.!!!

This is completely unacceptable. This isn't even about a missing
child (for which they should have procedures). It's about someone
disappearing in the water. Any pool or water park should immediately
spring into action when someone tells a lifeguard that a child (or an
adult, for that matter) flipped out of their tube and never
resurfaced! The fact that the lifeguard ignored you is absolutely
shocking.

Debbie, when you do hear from them, and I hope they don't chicken out
for fear of some legal issue, come back and let us know what they
said.

Glad your daughter was OK.

that is an issue

in this day and age... it only takes a few minutes - or even seconds -
for someone to snatch a kid away, or for someone to get injured.


I agree, they should make some policy changes!

I was wondering how you got separated for so long that your daughter
somehow got out of the wave pool and escaped the area without your
notice. She had a life jacket on, so she couldn't be on the bottom of
the pool.

We're you frantic and screaming after about two minutes? I would have
been. I guess your daughter felt no need to linger once she got to
the side of the pool. That's kids for you.

It is impossible to know without being there, but this just left a
question on my mind. It must have been wall to wall bodies to not be
able to see find each other.

I am very happy to hear your daughter received no injury in this
incident.

I hesitate to add this, but I don't believe water parks have
procedures in place to shut down water attractions in a rapid enough
manner to prevent serious injury, if the whereabouts of a suspected
victim are not known. But, if an individual is spotted underwater,
obviously emergency procedures can be enacted immediately. But if
someone says "my child is missing," they can't react the same way with
the same speed. It would be nice if someone helped locate the child,
however.

All I expect was them to shut the waves off. I never expected them to
shut everything down. I thought she was in the water. The wave pool
is very large and when you get seperated it is very difficult to tell
if someone is still in there when the waves are on. I never expect
everyone to drop everything. Just shut the waves off so I can look.
No disrespect, but you people that do not have kids or have never lost
a child have NO idea the panic that takes over. You are thinking of
the meeting spot you had in place when you think your daughter may
have hit her head, is drowning, or is trapped under an empty inner
tube. Of couse rationally I began thinking she is not here, maybe she
got out, but then I thought what if she is trapped under an inner tube
or got pushed out too deep. Even with a life jacket on when the waves
hit you you go under. She only weighs 40 lbs soaking wet and is only
38 inches. She is very tiny for 6. She went to the meeting spot and
saw the mom we were rooming with and said I can't find my mom. She
said lets go to the baby pool where some of the other kids are. Shame
on her too for not saying let's go find her, but my point was just
that the lifeguards did not even seem to care that she was missing.
They could have shut the waves off, said go get manangement to
announce her name. They did nothing!!! And they showed no concern!!
That is my point.

I agree the place should have a plan in place to find lost children.


The child is six years old, and it wandered off on its own. It is not
like she was 2 years old and wandered off, she knew where she was
going.

If she hurt her elbow why did she not want her mother to look at it
then? The baby pool could not have been that far away if she was able
to swim up to the top, and exit the pool, and leave while you were
still under the water.

Was the other cheer mom a nurse?

It is always a good idea to have a plan in place where to meet if you
get lost or separated. This would apply at Walmart, Kohls, or a
waterpark


Good Day

Losing a kid must be a horrible experience. Not having kids, I don't
know from experience, but I can imagine how scary it might be.

That being said, and at the risk of sounding like the bad guy, I have
to wonder if we aren't demonizing the resort a bit. I mean, if a
child is lost at a resort, do we all really agree that it's the
resort's responsibility to immediately shut everything down until
which point the kid is located. Would we expect that from Disneyworld
or Six Flags or any other resort? I think saying that a waterpark is
the same as a department store (and I've never seen a department store
locked down) is a bit of a stretch.

It would appear that the child was never wandering around looking lost
-- she was with someone. How could the resort employees who didn't
even know what the kid looked like find her -- ask every child if the
person they are with is their parent.

I don't know if the waterpark has a "lost child/lost adult" kind of
checkpoint like you see at some other places. Might not be a bad
idea.

Someone being hurt is very different than lost. it's very obvious.
You can see who's hurt. You can't see who's lost.

I'd also be curious what the park management said when the OP talked
to them after the incident. I'm not sure they were even given a
chance to explain what their process was and find out if, in fact, it
was followed or not.

Again, I'm not saying I don't care about the situation -- it was a bad
one. I'm just not really sure what it is we think the waterpark can
do in a situation like this.

Im glad your daughter was with another parent and not scared. I was
traumatized at epcot when I was 11being sepearted from my mom for an
entire hour. But they do have a procedure in place. I would never go
to this waterpark!

Retail stores have specific procedures for when a child goes missing.
A frickin' water park should have the same.

I agree that the lifeguard could have offered to help when there was a
missing child. What if the child was somewhere in the pool??

While in the optimal PFB situation, you would have had a meeting spot
to check, blah blah blah...
Come on people, it was a mother and daughter going for a casual visit
to a hotel pool. They should have helped, no questions asked.

While it sounds like they dropped the ball a bit, I have to say, why
didn't YOU talk to your daughter BEFORE hand about were to go it you
get separated? When ever we went some place as kids, the FIRST thing
we did when we got there is to point out a place to go if we get
separated. I wonder why your daughter got out of the water WITH OUT
telling you. That seems strange to me. Also, you talk about some one
taking your daughter. Have you not told her yet what to do when a
stranger comes up to her? That is something that should be taught as
soon (No more then age 3-4) as you can.

I am surprised this was not taken seriously. It is wonderful your
child was never lost and was perfectly safe, however that is not the
point.

Any place that caters to child needs to have a plan in place for when
a parent says, 'I cannot locate my child'.

I agree completely. I'm so glad your daughter was found and okay. I
can only imagine the horrific panic you were dealing with.