View from one of the cameras

A Dutch swimming pool has recently become the first to install underwater cameras to spot drowning bathers. The anti-drowning system Poseidon detects any large object lying still on the bottom of the pool, sounding an alarm and alerting the pool´s lifeguard within seconds.

Poseidon is a French invention. The Malkander swimming pool in Apeldoorn in the east of the Netherlands is the first place outside France to install it. Nedap recreation is the company that brought Poseidon to the Netherlands. Account Manager Peter Goedhart: "We want to make recreation as pleasurable and safe as possible. The Poseidon system fits these aims perfectly. It consists of 4 globe cameras, inserted into the walls of the deep end of the swimming pool. The video images are visible on a monitor and are checked by a central computer system. If the system detects a motionless object on the bottom of the pool for more than 10 seconds, it will send an alarm to the monitor and to a beeper which is carried by the swim instructor."

EYES SPY
The globe cameras are installed in the wall of the swimming pool at 1.8 metres depth and they can see for up to 25 metres through the water. Each camera consists of two ‘eyes'. One looking left and one looking right. Together they create a 180 degree view. "The system only works in the deep end of the pool," explains Goedhart. "We don't want false alarms because of people floating still on the surface of the pool or by people standing in the shallow end of the pool."

LIFE GUARD'S THIRD EYE

Camera and components

Sometimes it's very busy in the pool and many things demand the attention of a life guard, such as Richard. Under these circumstances it's good to have Poseidon around, says Richard. "The system doesn't replace you, you always have to remain alert and check for possible problems yourself. So it's an aid, it's a back-up. You feel more relaxed and confident when you know you're not the only one who is watching out for the people."

DROWNING DRAMA
In the Netherlands about 10 people drown every year in public baths. It's not known, however, how many people narrowly escape death, because swimming pools usually don't give out information about successful rescues, as these events are considered bad publicity. Peter Goedhart: "10 drowned people in a year is not much when you compare it to the number of traffic casualties. But drowning accidents badly affect the people who work in the swimming pool and it's very bad for the image of the pool. For a long time afterwards the swimming pool is regarded as ‘unsafe'. It causes huge financial losses."

UNDERWATER INSTALLATION BY NIGHT
The Nedap team tried out a new way of installing the Poseidon system. Goedhart was part of the diving team that did it in just one night. "Installing the cameras in the wall when there's still water in the pool is an existing technique, but we also had to put up poles at specific places in the pool, so the software of the Poseidon system could be fine tuned. It's great it worked because emptying the Malkander pool would have cost about 80.000 US dollars."

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