Olympic Swimmer Joins Stew Leonard, CT Senator in West Hartford to Push Pool Safety
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Stew Leonard Jr. talks about water safety at Fernridge Pool in West Hartford on July 8, 2026. Credit: Screen capture, Connecticut Network (courtesy of CTNewsJunkie)
At a press conference at Fernridge Park pool on Wednesday, Stew Leonard Jr. and U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal shared a handful of easy steps to keep kids safe around the water.
By Donald Eng, CTNewsJunkie.com
Adriana Schack is no stranger to pools. But even the three-time Olympic swimmer, who has spent her adult life teaching people about water safety occasionally gets a reminder of just how quickly tragedies can happen.
Schack and her mother were chatting while wading in a community pool, when suddenly her mother bolted past her in alarm.
“A child was drowning, right behind me and right next to their mother, who was talking to someone,” Schack said. “That’s how fast it can happen, and in just a few inches of water.”
Schack joined Connecticut supermarket owner Stew Leonard Jr. and Sen. Richard Blumenthal Wednesday at Fernridge Pool in West Hartford to reinforce the message of water safety in the summer. The event took place a few days after July 4, which traditionally is the deadliest weekend of the year for drownings, Leonard said.
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Perhaps they should look at the new Eisenhower pool! Much of the grassy area was removed, there is NO shade option to protect from the full sun, and the baby/toddler pool area (that is a separate area from the deeper water at Fern) is now a continuous sloped area down to the 3.5″ deep area. Seems like an accident waiting to happen. The benches and the covered area with tables were all removed and replaced with concrete.
The former pathway from the parking lot up to the pool now has steps added! Is that supposed to be easier or safer for folks carrying their children, towels, bags, strollers, chairs, etc.?