An Iowa family is expressing outrage after their preschool-aged son nearly drowned when he went under water during a birthday party at the McCreary Community Building pool in Perry.
"I was screaming Get Preston, Get Preston! He's drowning underwater," Beth Norman, Preston's cousin, told the Des Moines CBS affiliate.
Adults were reportedly keeping an eye on the kids through a set of glass doors that failed to open when they saw that Preston was struggling. The adults slammed on the glass but to no avail. They were left with the option of running the long way around the building through the locker rooms or flagging down a front desk employee to unlock the doors.
An employee eventually unlocked the doors and Preston's mom went to rescue Preston.
"I saw her out of the corner of my eye running full blast," Morman said. "She jumped into the pool, grabbed him and rescued him, otherwise it could've ended ugly."
Perry Parks & Recreation sent CBS the following statement:
"The City of Perry is conducting an investigation into the incident that occurred at the McCreary Community Building Sunday afternoon. We will be reviewing building policy and the actions taken by staff that may have contributed to the incident. Necessary corrective actions will be taken to ensure the safety of our patrons. This incident does not reflect the culture of safety in our organization and underscores the important role that lifeguards play in keeping our communities safe."
Beth Norman blamed the lifeguards, saying they failed to perform their jobs.
"They are trained to save people," Morman said. "That's their training, that's their job. It's like any other job, you go to work and you do your job."
