Patricia Allen (30) arrested after three of her children drowned in a pool while she played on her cellphone

[Caffeinatedkat]

My husband just downloaded age of ultron on his phone and it is a pretty good copy. Headphones?

[Words Words]

Is it possible that this was planned? the mom was so overwhelmed with so many kids? It's not like we haven't seen this kind of thing before or anything...

[Caffeinatedkat]

Planned or accident, she let 3 kids die. They better think twice before handing her back the other 2

[Queena]

She could've killed them in private, that would've been easier to cover up. It's so hard to fake a drowning.


I must say that I will do my best to make sure all Black kids that I can influence will have swimming lessons. Not that swimming lessons, or knowing how to swim stops children, or adults from drowning.

[Words Words]

I didn't say it was a well thought out plan or anything!

[Caffeinatedkat]

She could've killed them in private, that would've been easier to cover up. It's so hard to fake a drowning.


I must say that I will do my best to make sure all Black kids that I can influence will have swimming lessons. Not that swimming lessons, or knowing how to swim stops children, or adults from drowning.

I swear to God in the past few months I have heard time and time again that black people cannot swim. I honestly just thought it was a joke why would black people be able to swim? Physically speaking with the exception of the color of their skin they're exactly the same inside and out as a Chinese person or a white person So why is there an assumption they can't swim. What am I missing?

[bowieluva]

I swear to God in the past few months I have heard time and time again that black people cannot swim. I honestly just thought it was a joke why would black people be able to swim? Physically speaking with the exception of the color of their skin they're exactly the same inside and out as a Chinese person or a white person So why is there an assumption they can't swim. What am I missing?

It's a racist "joke" combining stereotypes that black people are poor, inner city, stupid, and don't bathe. It's pretty fucking stupid.

[OctoberT]

I swear to God in the past few months I have heard time and time again that black people cannot swim. I honestly just thought it was a joke why would black people be able to swim? Physically speaking with the exception of the color of their skin they're exactly the same inside and out as a Chinese person or a white person So why is there an assumption they can't swim. What am I missing?

A study released a few years ago suggested that 70% of black children can't swim (as compared to 40% of Caucasian children), and black children are three times more likely to drown than their white counterparts. So that's probably where you're getting that from.

[Words Words]

It's a racist "joke" combining stereotypes that black people are poor, inner city, stupid, and don't bathe. It's pretty fucking stupid.

I thought it was like the Ron thing with not liking the sand, sharks in the water and all that. shows how much I know about stereotypes these days...

[bermstalker]

I still can't figure out how you would lose 3 kids to drowning. I can understand one...maybe 2, but 3?

I almost drowned when I was 5. A rip tide caught me. My brother saw and saved me. I tried to drown him. My uncle finally realized what was going on and saved us both. I can still remember that moment very clear.

[Kelly-Jane]

The biggest issue is I can see one kid slipping under but holy shit what game was she so into that she didn't see or hear ALL of her kids in trouble?

That's what my first though was when I read it. Pretty unbelievable

[Olivia]

Hmmmm

While the deaths were initially ruled accidental, authorities eventually uncovered evidence "that constituted a criminal offense" and charged Allen with one count of injury to a child.

http://www.people.com/article/patric...ted-cell-phone

[Queena]

I swear to God in the past few months I have heard time and time again that black people cannot swim. I honestly just thought it was a joke why would black people be able to swim? Physically speaking with the exception of the color of their skin they're exactly the same inside and out as a Chinese person or a white person So why is there an assumption they can't swim. What am I missing?

Well...I'm really joking. I know quite a number of Black people that can swim. Some have even been lifeguards (my little brother) or on the swim team (my Mom), or on the swim team. There aren't many swimming pools in poor Black neighborhoods, nor YMCA's, or any other place to learn to swim. You have to really travel if you live in the inner city if you want your child to know how to swim.

No, we aren't different. Although, I'll let you in on a little unknown fact, the Black DOES rub off if you get too close, or look at us too long. In other words, what I'm saying is, looking at, or touching Black people COULD, not for sure, turn you Black. I should know, I used to be Native American....

[Caffeinatedkat]

Yes I have heard of this phenomenon is very sad

[Queena]

Yes I have heard of this phenomenon is very sad

Umm....that's called acting the way you think ALL Black people act. We don't all act or dress that way. We do something called code switching. Which I'm sure everyone does. Who acts the same in front of everyone?

Those people are mocking Black people, maybe not on purpose, but it's offensive nonetheless. Please, find a new picture, you pull that one out every time.

[IzzyCooper]

Umm....that's called acting the way you think ALL Black people act. We don't all act or dress that way. We do something called code switching. Which I'm sure everyone does. Who acts the same in front of everyone?

Those people are mocking Black people, maybe not on purpose, but it's offensive nonetheless. Please, find a new picture, you pull that one out every time.

I heart Queena so much!!

[Words Words]

No, we aren't different. Although, I'll let you in on a little unknown fact, the Black DOES rub off if you get too close, or look at us too long. In other words, what I'm saying is, looking at, or touching Black people COULD, not for sure, turn you Black. I should know, I used to be Native American....

I can't rep you... I was waiting for "black don't crack"

[Olivia]

C'mon guys.

[WooFrigginHoo]

Video @ http://www.wfaa.com/story/news/local...llen/30104647/

Community members question the witness statements.
The community raised money to bond her out and found a new home for Allen and paid several months rent. They're collecting donations for her legal defense, having a benefit concert on Aug. 2, picking up donations for her 2 surviving children.

McLellan says he does not believe Allen meant to hurt the kids. "We're not looking at this through the lens that she intended to harm her children," he says, explaining why she only faces one charge for the three deaths. "We realize this mother has lost her three children. We're not trying to say that she tried to kill her children."

http://www.people.com/article/patric...ted-cell-phone

[captainjillian]

No, we aren't different. Although, I'll let you in on a little unknown fact, the Black DOES rub off if you get too close, or look at us too long. In other words, what I'm saying is, looking at, or touching Black people COULD, not for sure, turn you Black. I should know, I used to be Native American....

When I was little I asked my mother loudly and in public why God loved Black people so much he dipped them in chocolate.
I thought they were so lucky, they were all chocolaty and amazing and I was just a vanilla person.

[Boston Babe 73]

When I was little I asked my mother loudly and in public why God loved Black people so much he dipped them in chocolate.
I thought they were so lucky, they were all chocolaty and amazing and I was just a vanilla person.

I thought something similar! My first "boyfriend" was black. I was six and he was 13 years old lol. I wanted so badly to lick his hand to see if he tasted like chocolate

[Caffeinatedkat]

Umm....that's called acting the way you think ALL Black people act. We don't all act or dress that way. We do something called code switching. Which I'm sure everyone does. Who acts the same in front of everyone?

Those people are mocking Black people, maybe not on purpose, but it's offensive nonetheless. Please, find a new picture, you pull that one out every time.

First of all I've never seen that photo in my life I just googled it.
Secondly I assumed you were JOKING with me, guess it can't go both ways.
Lastly I was dead serious about the not be able to swim thing. I heard. Lady on
The show Bullseye say it, then again in this video and again on the radio



It was nothing I had heard of before.

[blighted star]

I meant to post most of this last night but my tablet shit itself.

If one kid starts drowning the other kids are gonna start yelling for the mother Who also cannot swim. It is the perfect storm of stupid.

Not singling you out Kat, there are similar comments all through this thread but I promise you this is EXACTLY what this mum thought too & it's the reason she didn't watch constantly.

That's what most littles in my family have too Deb, we call them puddle jumpers. They work really well!

That chest floatie thing posted up thread is what my daughter was using when she floated off with her face in the water. She also had water wings AND a pool noodle & was in a giant section of pool that was kneedeep for me, surrounded by parents & arms reach from me.

I promise you, NO-ONE keeps their eyes on their kids every second. NO-ONE. The trust people with little ones place in these devices is about the same level of trust parents of older kids place in their kids "assumed" ability to handle themselves & call for help ie - I can take my eyes off them for a second to open this drink for my toddler/fix this kid's untied hair/help this one undo their swimsuit to go to the toilet/answer the question from the person next to me. Get distracted & have that 15 second task stretch to a minute or 2 or 3 & you're in this ladies position with everyone hurling abuse at you.


Angie's right. Despite all the Candy Crush comments only ONE un-named witness said anything about her being on the phone & they said nothing about the length of time she was using it. There are other accounts saying there were no witnesses until literally seconds before she shouted for help. She could've answered a single text. One or 2 minutes is really all it would take. She could've pulled it out to dial 911 but stopped & screamed for help instead when she saw the people coming - I'm sure in a panicked state, the chance one of them could swim made them of more use right at that moment than her calling 911.


That aerial shot of the pool shows the water wasn't cloudy but that's not the only visibility issue in pools & this particular pool seems to have huge safety issues. If you look at that pic you'll see it's very dark & shadowed at one end - too dark & shadowed for the angle of the sun in the pic to account for it. This looks like one of those pools that has a hump & then a huge drop off to the deep end - that line on the floor is supposed to be the warning.



The description witnesses gave fit this perfectly. At first she's sitting staring at the pool - from a sitting position on those loungers directly in front of the pool, your view behind & below the drop-off point will be completely obscured. She's ticking it over in her head "all 3 kids are gone? Where are they? Did they get out of the pool & leave? No way all 3 got into trouble without ever calling me for help, where are they?

Then she realises she can't see all of the pool floor & stands up - now she can see deep end & starts yelling.




There are numerous videos of pairs of kids messing around on ledges & sandbanks. One pushes the other, or they splash each other & play-wrestle, then one kid loses their footing & they both go over. It takes 3 minutes max before they're gone. If you had your eyes off the pool the sound of the little splashing there is would lull you into thinking you were just hearing normal play. The only vid I've seen where there was any yelling involved adults & the man managed to try & call for help. The woman didn't though. She was as silent as all the kids




This one is 2 minutes 42 seconds & it includes all the playing & messing around before they slipped into the deep water. Their cousin didn't even realise they were drowning until they were under & gone.




http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=db8_1404740712



The adults make more noise but it's still only around 2 mins from when they step off into the deep water & when the water swallows them up & goes back to a still surface

NSFW





Yes, this could be a real case of negligence, but right now there's more pointing to this being the kind of thing that can happen to any adult supervising kids in the water - because so many people honestly believe it can't happen this easily with more than one older kid involved.





Edit : the claims she delayed emergency care to one child by not telling rescuers there was a 3rd kid are a bit weird too. If visibility was as good as it seems to be in that pic, how the hell didn't rescuers immediately see all 3?

[PunkerDuckie]

. "We're not trying to say that she tried to kill her children."

...We're just saying she didn't save them either

[Caffeinatedkat]

You can say no one watches kids every second but I do. I almost drowned as a child and by drown I mean a big kid held me under. I respect and fear water. If I have to turn my back my kids have to get out. Period.