MARTIN COUNTY, Fla. — Student athletes and coaches are voicing concerns about the pool closure at Martin County High School.
Sarah Decowski, a senior swimmer at Martin County High School, wants her pool back.
“We need water to practice,” she said.
Earlier this week, WPTV found out from the Martin County School District that the Dick Wells Training Center and pool facility was closed this week due to electrical issues.
Decowski told WPTV this isn’t the first time.
“We've had a pump break every single year since I've been swimming here,” said Decowski. “It gets annoying after a while when you have to take a couple days off of practice, because you can't swim in your pool.”
Derek Lowe with the Martin County School District told me on Wednesday the most recent closure was because of electrical issues.
“This decision was made with the safety of students at the top of our mind,” said Lowe. “We never want to put our students in jeopardy of something that could really jeopardize their health.”
But high school swim coach, Daniel Hartley, told WPTV that even though the electrical issue is now fixed, the pool will remain closed for another six to eight weeks to complete other repairs.
WATCH: Pool at Martin County High School closed due to electrical issues
“The one main issue was the electrical issue that where kids could get hurt and it is fixed,” said Hartley. “So, I don't see why we can't be back in the pool swimming.”
The team now either practices on land or at Sailfish Splash Aquatic Center, where they share the pool with two other swim teams.
“We only had three lanes for what was almost 30 to 40 of us and it was really tight,” said Sedowski. “You were constantly on top of someone, and you couldn't really do any of your strokes or any of your, you know, drills, because you were constantly having to stop to let someone pass you or to pass someone else.”
Hartley told WPTV their practices now must start three hours later than normal which has led to issues with transportation.
“The kids want to be successful,” said Hartley. “They're just not given the tools to be successful from the people who should be looking out for them.”
Decowski said she understands the school’s concerns, but she’s worried the pool will never re-open
“We have friends who are juniors, sophomores, even freshmen,” said Decowski. “We want them to enjoy the pool for the rest of their high school career and many generations to come.”
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Region Martin County
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