Calls for Transparency Rise After Near-Drowning at Westchester Summer Camp

Mount Kisco, NY – A near-drowning incident at a Westchester County summer camp last June has reignited calls for greater transparency regarding safety standards at New York summer camps and their swimming facilities. Parents are demanding access to safety records to better assess the risks associated with sending their children to these programs.

The Incident at Saw Mill Club

Ashley LaRue and Brandon Shenkman received the alarming call every parent dreads: their five-year-old son lost consciousness in a swimming pool even as attending a summer camp operated by the Saw Mill Club in Mount Kisco. According to reports, the boy was rescued by a private swim instructor – not an employee of the camp – who administered CPR. MSN

A subsequent inspection by the Westchester County Department of Health revealed concerns about lifeguard staffing levels. The inspector found that children aged four and five were permitted to swim in areas up to 5 feet deep without restrictions and without staff members in the water. “At the time of the incident it was stated no staff were in the water supervising non-swimmers,” the inspector wrote in a report. Nouvelles Du Monde

History of Safety Concerns

The Saw Mill Club and its sister facility, Saw Mill Club East, have faced multiple citations in the past two years for inadequate lifeguard supervision at their pools, both under current and previous ownership. Nouvelles Du Monde

LaRue expressed her dismay, stating, “If I would have known the issues that had been ongoing, he would never have gone there.” Nouvelles Du Monde

Lawsuit and Calls for Legislative Action

LaRue and Shenkman have filed a lawsuit against the summer camp and its parent company, Genesis Health Clubs. They are advocating for New York State lawmakers and regulators to create a publicly accessible website where parents can easily review the safety records of summer camps and swimming pools. MSN

Their attorney, Steven Dorfman, emphasized the lack of transparency in the field, stating, “I was stunned to see that there is no transparency in this field.” He intends to explore potential legislation to make safety information more readily available to parents. MSN

Previous Recommendations for Improved Safety

The call for a centralized database of safety records echoes recommendations made by New York’s Temporary Commission to Prevent Childhood Drowning. Last year, the commission published a report proposing the development of a “user-friendly web-based clearinghouse that consolidates all relevant reports and data on drowning and water-related injuries.” MSN

Kaitlin Krause, a member of the Commission and founder of Rising Tide Effect, highlighted the importance of such a platform: “If we can create a central platform…where [we] can bring in all of the drowning data, the injury reports, the facility safety reports, we would equip parents and communities with way better options to make decisions.” MSN

Genesis Health Clubs Response and Previous Litigation

Genesis Health Clubs did not respond to questions from the I-Team regarding the recent incident, but previously told News 12 Westchester that they had increased lifeguard staffing and strengthened water safety protocols following the near-drowning. Nouvelles Du Monde

The Saw Mill Club was also the subject of a 2018 lawsuit filed by Karen Hinton, a former aide to New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, who alleged negligence following a treadmill accident that resulted in a severe brain injury. The health club has denied wrongdoing in court filings, and a trial is scheduled for later this year. Nouvelles Du Monde