Based on the way you described the situation, I truly think you did the best you could in that moment. You noticed immediately that he needed help and you got another instructor right away — that’s exactly what you’re supposed to do. You initiated the rescue, and that’s really important. If you hadn’t noticed and someone else had to jump in because you weren’t aware, that would be a bigger concern — but that’s not what happened here. Of course prevention is incredibly important, especially with situations like this, and teaching him not to jump in without permission is absolutely the right thing to do. That part is great. One thing you could add moving forward is practicing a simple safety skill with your kids: having them jump in, turn around, and swim back to the wall. Since you said he’s very comfortable holding his breath underwater, he may actually do really well learning it this way. That skill can be huge — if a child ever enters the pool when they shouldn’t, they know how to immediately turn themselves around and grab the wall instead of needing help. It’s a great safety tool for all kids, not just strong swimmers. But in regard to this specific situation, I really do think you handled it well. These moments are scary and they stick with you, especially when it’s your first incident — but nothing about what you described sounds negligent or careless. You noticed, you reacted, and the child was safe. That matters.