$4 million awarded in Crofton drowning

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Lifeguards - September 27, 2007

Have any of you actually taken a kid to a pool? Notice that the lifeguards are also kids and have a rather lax work ethic in some cases? So what do you do? You watch the kid as best possible since it is YOUR responsibility, don't depend on a kid to save your kid-WATCH THEM. On the other hand, if you don't want to do that, are you willing to pay LARGE amounts to use a pool if mature, responsible guards are hired and trained? How much will we have to pay? I guess it needs to be more than fast food or Walmart, cause they aren't much better work ethic wise. Maybe we should hire and pay like the police,yeah, that's the ticket.

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Ted G. - Edgewater, MD - Karma: Bad

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Why? - September 27, 2007

Why would you say that these comments are rude? Just because they don't fit your idea of what is right and wrong? Because someone disagrees? You still haven't answered the accountability question. Still waiting. No sense in attacking character or throwing stones...just stay on topic is the best way to approach this...

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Robert R. - Harwood, MD - Karma: Bad

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Comment removed by HometownAnnapolis staff. - September 26, 2007

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- Karma: Bad

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wow - September 26, 2007

people here are really mature. i'm glad everyone decides to pick fights on an article about a little boys death. they family won, the pool company lost, end of story. obviously the judge saw it as the pool companys fault as well. seems like i'm not the only one with this opinion. I hope you people are ashamed of yourselves knowing the family has seen what rude and ignorant remarks people have made.

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K. Zimmerman - odenton, MD - Karma: Bad

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Again! - September 26, 2007

Again...you have not answered the point about accoutability? I wonder why? Pointing out your percieved faults about me is not getting it done!!! By the way...I'm not a good person...took that test and failed. How about you? Would you like to take that same test?

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Robert R. - Harwood, MD - Karma: Bad

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Pointing fingers... - September 26, 2007

The following statement reflects the family's position: "The moral of this is that it is the life guards duty AT ALL TIMES to be supervising the pool." I will add that it is the family friend's duty AT ALL TIMES to be survising the CHILD.

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S. Brownham - Annapoalis, MD - Karma: Bad

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=] - September 26, 2007

wow, what a good person to keep commenting on the article on the death of a 5 year old boy. The Freed's won the case, it's over, and the opinion of one persons life who consists of writing rude remarks about the article, doesn't matter. They prevailed and I know Connor wouldn't have it any other way. They came in wanting to get something out of this and they did and it's over, they succeeded and the organization will keep running and will raise even more money to get more responsible lifeguards who are actually willing to work. It all worked out in the end =]

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K. Zimmerman - odenton, MD - Karma: Bad

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Maybe you're right? - September 26, 2007

Maybe it's not about the money. I do not know ALL the pieces. But, you have simply missed the point entirely...it's about accoutablity. The accountability of the parent's and the friend...why does the culture want to pin accountability on others than themselves. Why in the world would anyone expect someone other than family and friends to care for another like that of there own family? It seems that we only go after those 'other', we like to finger point...it helps our conscience and let's us sleep at night. Another point, to say I can't understand because I'm not involved is utterly false.

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Robert R. - Harwood, MD - Karma: Bad

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this needs to end. - September 26, 2007

Like I have said earlier, you don't know the family and you don't know what happened. The parents weren't responsible at the time because they were not there and had enough loyalty in this friend to take care of Connor who turned his back for a minute. The moral of this is that it is the life guards duty AT ALL TIMES to be supervising the pool, and yet they were goofing off and this organization, my best friend, (Connors sister), put together is to have a better well training of lifeguards, and that is what they are trying to get out of this case. Have a child, be put into a situation such as this, and then state your opinion. Have a heart about this and open your eyes and realize it wasn't about the money. THANK YOU.

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K. Zimmerman - odenton, MD - Karma: Bad

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Thank you. - September 26, 2007

Exactly, where were the parents or the 'friend' who was charged with supervision? Why are we not suing them? Aren't they just as responsible or for that matter even more so? The posts here typify my earlier point -- blame someone else and use the fact that a child was hurt to pull on the heart strings -- and get paid.

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Robert R. - Harwood, MD - Karma: Bad

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Where were the parents? - September 26, 2007

I am not even a parent, but I know that when i was younger and would go swimming my Mom never took her eye off of me. Where were Connor's parents during his drowning? I know the life guards' responisbility is to save lives, but his parents could have prevented it!

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Kacie L. - Crofton, MD - Karma: Bad

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defending their loss - September 25, 2007

If you knew the Freed family, you would know it was never about the money. After awhile though, you get angry with the thought something like this could have been prevented. If only the lifeguard had been on duty and not fooling around, hence the term "life guard", your job is to save lives. We need responsible people who are willing to pay attention. That is what this was about and I happy with what came out of this. The Freed family deserves every bit. Try dealing with the loss of a child, then you'll know what's right. They are such a strong family and has suffered enough, i'm happy this ended the way it did and god bless them.

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K. Zimmerman - odenton, MD - Karma: Bad

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This makes NO sense - September 25, 2007

What is the purpose of a lifeguard? Why are they employed? Who hires the lifeguard? It is someones fault...the pool management company. No amount of money can replace the life of Connor or any other child for that matter. When companies stop trying to hire kids for cheap wages and value life with paying those experienced, lives can be saved. Have you experienced the loss of a child? Have you had to endure the pain of seeing your child near death? No one makes changes until their pockets are running low. Maybe this is a wake up call. Although the death of a five-year old should have been enough.Change will come to value life one way or the other, and if it is stiffer laws or more negligence lawsuits, so be it. Change is coming.

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Sheree P. - Columbia, MD - Karma: Bad

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This is typical!!! - September 25, 2007

When a tragedy happens it is ALWAYS someone else's fault. And, usually entails MONEY! How convenient? I have an idea how about suing the family friend who was responsible and who was supposedly supervising the child? Cant do that because there is no money and we wouldnt want to harm the conscience of our friend. We dont need more laws we need more responsible people and those who are willing to be accountable. That is the answernot some police state where the actions of every human is subject to the whims and reactions of others. Although I am sorry for the loss that this family has to endure; this story paints a typical problem within our society and the loony thought that we need to CHANGE something whenever something happens.

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Robert R. - Harwood, MD - Karma: Bad

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We want change! - September 25, 2007

I am personal friends with the Freeds and their family and I am just hoping this decision will bring a small sense of closure to their loss. I know they will never rest until the laws are changed and there will never be an end to this nightmare, but at least someone said in public and outloud that it was the management companies fault. We all know that there was a lot of things that went wrong that day, but the biggest mistake was the poor training and response by the lifeguards and their management. He could have been saved with swift action and level headed thinking. We are all praying for everyone involved.

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A. Mower - Severn, MD - Karma: Bad