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Reactions to toddler falling in canal


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Yesterday I heard a loud shout and a large splash. Looked up and on other side of canal where a man and a boy had been feeding ducks to see a small head pop up above the water and the man immediately sliding into the canal and throwing the child onto the towing path. Two teenage girls were walking along the path and were right at the spot when the two went in the canal, I was relieved to see there were two people on the scene to help but as I hurried to the bridge to go over to try to help also, I was amazed to see the two girls carry on walking with hardly a glance as on his second attempt the man managed to push the boy further onto the path at their feet and then struggle to get himself out onto the wet grass bank.  Faith in human nature was restored however as people suddenly appeared from all directions, one man jumping off a boat to help. The wet pair were taken to a nearby business to dry out and warm up as offerings of towels and warm drinks came from different directions. It all ended well but what an insight into human nature. 

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Not unusual behaviour from some teenagers who, lacking confidence, have the overriding instinct to maintain an outward image of calmness and indifference even if that is non constructive, difficult being an awkward teenager who lacks self confidence and is afraid of embarrassment. 

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Having been on the receiving end of some very vitriolic hate from a parent when I stopped to help their child, I now just continue on my way if I see a child in trouble. It's not worth being accused of all sorts of things.

Edited by Loddon
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3 minutes ago, Loddon said:

Having been on the receiving end of some very vitriolic hate from a parent when I stopped to help their child, I now just continue on my way if I see a child in trouble. It's not worth being accused of all sorts of things.

That's as logical as saying "I had a dodgy curry once and didn't get off the bog for two days, so I'm never going to eat curry again"... ?

Edited by IanD
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Or - I had a dodgy curry once and didn't get off the bog for two days, so I'm never getting off the bog again................

 

Seriously though, if I saw a kid (or anybody) in trouble in the canal, I'd help first and worry about the verbals after.

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16 minutes ago, Loddon said:

Having been on the receiving end of some very vitriolic hate from a parent when I stopped to help their child, I now just continue on my way if I see a child in trouble. It's not worth being accused of all sorts of things.

Odd reaction. What was the nature of this "vitriolic hate"?

Edited by Athy
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4 minutes ago, Athy said:

Odd reaction. What was the nature of this "vitriolic hate"?

I was told I was a filthy paedophile for touching her daughter etc etc.

Yes the woman was probably unhinged but that situation is best avoided.

I don't like children anyway so for me best avoided

Edited by Loddon
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2 minutes ago, Loddon said:

I was told I was a filthy paedophile for touching her daughter etc etc.

I don't like children anyway so for me best avoided

I do know how you feel as a similar thing happened to me, only I had two sets of parents have a go at me. :(

 

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23 minutes ago, Loddon said:

I was told I was a filthy paedophile for touching her daughter etc etc.

Yes the woman was probably unhinged but that situation is best avoided.

I don't like children anyway so for me best avoided

I like children but such accusation might mess up my brain too... 

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I think it depends on the kind of trouble the child is in - for example, if the child looks to be alone but not distressed, I’d just watch in case the child put itself in immediate danger, in which case I’d step in and sod the parents. Basically if the child is in any immediate danger I can’t imagine anybody just watching - although as related above, this does apparently happen.

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31 minutes ago, Mike Tee said:

I think it depends on the kind of trouble the child is in - for example, if the child looks to be alone but not distressed, I’d just watch in case the child put itself in immediate danger, in which case I’d step in and sod the parents. Basically if the child is in any immediate danger I can’t imagine anybody just watching - although as related above, this does apparently happen.

One time, I was at a pool with one of those tall and long covered slides.  I came through and behind me was a 3 or 4 year old, who then got up and started crawling up the tunnel to meet his dad... his dad was not small.  I ran to the mouth of the tunnel, I could hear the onrushing large man who was about to flatten the young child crawling toward him, & reached down to the pull the child out of the way.  Then hesitated a nanosecond as I realised i was about to lay my hands on someone else's child.  Fortunately, common sense ruled, and in a scene worthy of a movie I yanked the child out of the way just as 17 stone of speeding dad came out of the tunnel.

 

I reflected afterwards on how it had been that I had hesitated... felt unhappy about it.

Edited by Wittenham
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1 hour ago, Loddon said:

Having been on the receiving end of some very vitriolic hate from a parent when I stopped to help their child, I now just continue on my way if I see a child in trouble. It's not worth being accused of all sorts of things.

There's a difference between a child 'in trouble' and one potentially drowning. Anything's worth saving a life. If you don't believe that I'm sorry for you.

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14 minutes ago, Slim said:

Anything's worth saving a life

Agreed

14 minutes ago, Slim said:

There's a difference between a child 'in trouble' and one potentially drowning...

Which is fuzzy and open to interpretation - I've been slagged off (loudly and rudely) for pulling a small child out the way of a moving full size Steam Train ("but he just wants to get close to Thomas, he's got all the toys") and thanked profusely for a minor and probably unneeded intervention.

 

And in today's troubled times I've had help refused "we're not allowed to be this close" (at which I bit back a "fine, you carry the kid's bike home as well as the aforementioned screaming kid who'd just crashed into a tree buckling the wheel")

 

If it looks life threatening I'll step in. Sometimes reluctantly...

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Reminds me of an interesting discussion at the RYA first aid course I did a few years ago., The instructor stressed the distinction between first aid (applying pressure to a wound, CPR etc), and more medical treatment (giving someone paracetemol, which I do have in my first aid kit, when you know nothing about their medical history).  First is OK - and the courts will protect you if act in good faith - latter is sadly now rather tricky. 

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15 hours ago, Wanderer Vagabond said:

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I'd video it and post it on Facebook :)

16 hours ago, Tracy D'arth said:

There are too many of them anyway. If the parents don't care, why should anyone else? I've pulled a few out, and dogs, and adults, never get much of a thank you.

I've saved 3 adults at different times from drowning and not one has ever thanked me, one even managed to nick some cigs from me :(

 

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On 18/12/2020 at 10:56, Loddon said:

I was told I was a filthy paedophile for touching her daughter etc etc.

Yes the woman was probably unhinged but that situation is best avoided.

I don't like children anyway so for me best avoided

I do understand Julian. As a single bloke I go out of my way to avoid any unsupervised interactions with children because I don't want anyone to misconstrue what's going on. Unfortunately we've become so suspicious as a society that we're doing children a disservice by preventing adults (ie. society in general) from getting involved in the supervision of children. In addition to the default mindset that any man on his own is a potential paedophile, many adults won't say anything to children who are misbehaving for fear that their parents will take the side of the child. This is doing the children a great disservice because it's created a barrier between them and the community. I guess it's all part of the fragmentation of society

 

Mind you Julian, you do look the part! ?

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22 minutes ago, Laurie Booth said:

I'd video it and post it on Facebook :)

I've saved 3 adults at different times from drowning and not one has ever thanked me, one even managed to nick some cigs from me :(

 

c) I'd start an argument about whether it is a camel or a dromedary , or more precisely a Bactrian or a Dromedary. 

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31 minutes ago, Laurie Booth said:

I've saved 3 adults at different times from drowning and not one has ever thanked me, one even managed to nick some cigs from me :(

 

In fairness, his were probably soggy by then - and he probably really needed a nicotine hit!

 

Still it would have been polite to just ask for one, even if he was in shock ...

 

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