Icy Pools

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So you are looking out back, and are anticipating jumping into your pool in a few weeks!!!

….But the anticipation just gets the better of you
I was inspecting a commercial client’s pool for cement repairs to be done. It was still covered in what appeared to be a few inches of ice. Looks can be deceiving though!!

We were 4 people at the pool, when one of the building maintenance staff said “it’s still thick enough to support my weight!” Why he would say that? Had he already put all his weight on the icy surface? Turns out, yes, he did! The previous day.

icy pool fall

As I’m giving him my best lifeguard speech, advising him against what somehow he thinks is a great idea, he, with all the confidence he can manage and empowered to prove me wrong, places one foot down on the ice. His foot then cracks through the ice, which sets him off balance and towards the pool, and the rest of him follows. He falls into the icy cold water, plunging beneath the ice. What if it happened the previous day? He was alone. If the water level was just 1 foot lower it would have been very difficult to pull him out, and impossible if he was alone. In both cases, he would have had little time to get out of the water before drowning or suffering from hypothermia.

And no, I did not take a picture, nor did I have the time, or a free hand to video it. Though, it would’ve gone viral for all the wrong reasons. Let this be a life lesson.

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Mitch

Mitch is the heart and soul of PLPS Pools. As the founding member, this President and Head of Maintenance started with a background in psychology and business and expanded his knowledge and expertise while working as the director of aquatics at a major Montreal area community and recreation centre. These days, you can just as often find Mitch up to his elbows in a pump as meeting with a building manager to sort out a quote. Mitch lives and breathes PLPS Pools, and he is genuinely happy when having a coffee or an ice-cream with a client and talking about their pool needs.