Choking incident at playground prompts parents to review safety

A six-year-old child was rushed to Alberta Children’s Hospital after she got a piece of her clothing caught in the playground equipment.

A scary incident at a northeast Calgary playground on Monday that sent a little girl to hospital in serious condition has many parents thinking about safety.

On Monday, emergency crews were called to O.S. Geiger School at about 12:45 p.m. for reports of an injured child.

Police say the child was playing on the monkey bars when her scarf somehow got caught and choked her.

She was rushed to Alberta Children’s Hospital in critical condition.

School board officials confirm that supervisors were on the playground when the incident happened and responded immediately.

“The safety of our students is of utmost importance. We can confirm that supervisors were present on the playground when yesterday’s incident occurred at O.S. Geiger School. We continue to review the situation and collect information to ensure that students are as safe as possible,” said the CBE in a statement to CTV Calgary on Tuesday.

The CBE says noon supervisors are trained employees who know what to do in emergency and medical situations.

Policies vary from school to school on the type of clothing that is allowed on the playground equipment.

The Catholic Board’s guidelines say scarves and loose strings and skipping ropes should not be around play equipment.

Some private schools in the city request that children do not wear scarves at all.

Some parents say the policies should be reviewed after this latest incident.

“After this incident probably and the sad part is it could have been anybody’s kids,” said Davina Riston. “I have two girls in here that are the same age, I’m the chair for the student council for the school and it’s devastating.”

Alberta’s Education Minister, David Eggen, issued a statement on the incident saying…

"Certainly, our thoughts are with the student and family affected by this incident. Officials with Alberta Education have been in touch with the Calgary Board of Education to ensure all students affected are being supported and I am following this situation closely. The CBE has programs in place to help students cope during this difficult time. The safety of all students is a top priority. School boards set the supervisor-to-student ratio, and student safety is their primary focus."

The Calgary Board of Education is reviewing the incident and has made a crisis team available to support students and staff at the school.

(With files from Shaun Frenette)