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Vigil Set For Palmetto Tot Hurt When Swing Collapsed

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By Christina E. Sanchez of The Sarasota Herald-Tribune

Published: December 12, 2007

Updated: 12/12/2007 09:18 am

Video: 8 On Your Side Investigates Who's Responsible For Playgrounds
Audio: Listen To The 911 Call
Previous Coverage:
Swing Set That Hurt Tot Wasn't Anchored, Sitter Says
Tot Hit By Swing Set 'Has No Brain Function'

A candlelight vigil will be held tonight for Lexi Antorino, a 2-year-old Palmetto girl who has been in a coma since an unanchored swing set collapsed on her Sunday.

The vigil will begin at 8 p.m. at Church on the Rock, 1401 14th Ave. W., Palmetto.

The Manatee County Sheriff's Office said it has wrapped up its investigation and declared the injury an accident.

Detectives viewed video surveillance tapes of the Palmetto Point Civic Association's playground to see whether the swing set had been dismantled, as had been alleged by one witness, or improperly installed. The tapes didn't go back far enough to determine that, said sheriff's spokesman Dave Bristow.

Detectives spoke to maintenance crew members who told them that before the accident the swing set had been tipped over to get a truck through the area for tree trimming. The swing set was righted afterward and children had been using it without problems, Bristow said.

"There is nothing criminal here," Bristow said.

Lexi is listed in critical condition at All Children's Hospital in St. Petersburg, hospital spokesman Roy Adams said Tuesday.

Lexi's family has asked for privacy and has told hospital officials they don't want to speak with the media.

The president of the Palmetto Point Civic Association, which owns the park, said the swing set was not disassembled in the past few weeks, as was asserted by a resident of the area who witnessed the collapse.

"The swing set was moved for the trees to be trimmed," said Dave Bouquin, who has been president of the association for the past year. "The set has never been anchored."

"My daughter is 14 months old, and she was on that exact swing set," Bouquin said. "You never think something like this is going to happen. It's a tragic accident."

The American Society for Testing and Materials provides recommendations for playground equipment safety. The list includes everything from weight and age usage guidelines to a suggestion for using mulch underneath the equipment. Anchoring swing sets is highly recommended.

Bouquin said the tight-knit Palmetto Point community has come together to support Lexi and her parents, Sarah Parkinson and Nicholas Antorino.

The association has set up a fund for Lexi and her family. Donations can be made at any branch of Synovus Bank to the Lexi Antorino fund, Bouquin said.So he taped a television news report that showed footage of the broken equipment.

Burton, who has done safety inspections on nearly 2,600 playgrounds in the United States, immediately noticed problems with the set that toppled on Lexi Antorino on Sunday.

He said the set that collapsed at the Palmetto Point Civic Association Park had flaws that go against recommended national safety regulations. Florida has no law governing playground equipment safety.

From the images, Burton said he saw that the swing set was on grass when it should be on mulch or sand to soften the blow for children who fall.

Also, there were three swings hanging from one beam, when two is much safer.

Finally, the swing set was not anchored to the ground, a safety measure that has been recommended by national groups since 1991. The set crashed down on Lexi when she and two other girls were swinging on it. She suffered a broken neck and skull fracture and is in a coma.

"These swing sets have to be anchored," said Burton, who has worked as an expert in playground safety for 26 years and runs a firm called Safety Play with offices in St. Petersburg and Los Angeles. "Because it was not anchored, that's a serious issue."

The federal Consumer Product Safety Commission also recommends that swing sets be anchored to the ground for safety. The sets can fall forward or back if the speed or weight of the swingers gets too high.

Burton said he cannot be sure from the TV videos of the exact cause of the accident, but he believes the lack of anchoring contributed to it. Other factors to consider would be deterioration of the metal and the manufacturer's design of the swing set. Burton inspects parks, trains other safety inspectors and is an expert witness at trials, according to his Web site.

Lexi was listed in critical condition Tuesday at All Children's Hospital in St. Petersburg, according to hospital spokesman Roy Adams.

The president of the Palmetto Point Civic Association, which owns the park, said the swing set was not disassembled in the past few weeks, as was asserted by a resident of the area who witnessed the collapse. The swing set, he said, was not anchored in the ground.

"The swing set was moved for the trees to be trimmed," said Dave Bouquin, who has been president for a year. "The set has never been anchored."

Bouquin said he never thought the swing was unsafe.

"My daughter is 14 months old and she was on that exact swing set," Bouquin said. "You never think something like this is going to happen. It's a tragic accident."

The American Society for Testing and Materials provides recommendations for playground equipment safety. The list includes everything from weight and age usage guidelines to a suggestion for using mulch underneath the equipment. Anchoring swing sets is highly recommended.

The Palmetto Point association owns and maintains the park where Lexi was injured. The association is made up people who live in Palmetto Point as well as outside community members who join for a yearly fee to access the boat ramp, pavilion, playground and clubhouse.

Membership is optional for residents of the neighborhood a few miles north of Palmetto on Terra Ceia Bay. State records show the association has had nonprofit status since 1978.

Bouquin said the tight-knit Palmetto Point community has come together to support Lexi and her parents, Sarah Parkinson and Nicholas Antorino.

Lexi broke her back and neck when the swing collapsed on top of her. She was flown to All Children's after the accident about 12:30 p.m. Sunday. Lexi had been with her 14-year-old baby sitter, Joanna Janney, at the time.

Joanna said the three children were on the swing about 10 minutes before the collapse.

Lexi's family has asked for privacy and has told hospital officials they don't want to speak with the media for a while so they can focus on their daughter.

The association has set up a fund for Lexi and her family. Donations can be made at any branch of Synovus Bank to the Lexi Antorino fund, Bouquin said.

A candlelight vigil to pray for her will be held at 8 p.m. tonight at Church on the Rock, 1401 14th Ave. W. in Palmetto.

Meanwhile, the Manatee County Sheriff's Office said it has wrapped up its investigation into Lexi's accident and declared it an accident.

Detectives looked at video surveillance tapes of the playground to see if the swing set had been dismantled or improperly installed. The tapes didn't go back far enough to determine that, said sheriff's spokesman Dave Bristow.

Detectives spoke to maintenance crews who said the swing set had been intentionally tipped over to get a truck through for the tree trimming. Later, the swing set was put back up and children had swung there since without problems, Bristow said.

"There is nothing criminal here," Bristow said.

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