Lost and found: an operator discovers that letting parents drop off and pick up their children can put facilities in dicey situations.

Ashley is the assistant aquatics supervisor of a multiuse facility in Southern California. Like many facilities, "Ashley's" lets parents drop off and pick up kids for swim lessons. It seemed like a straightforward, user-friendly service until one day, when Ashley discovered it could be much more complicated, not to mention scary, than she ever realized.

It appeared to be a normal, busy summer morning when one of Ashley's staffers told her about a problem. Four-year-old "Tiffany," who was enrolled in a 30-minute tiny tot swim class, was missing.

Here's what was known: Earlier that morning, Tiffany's mother had dropped her off for the lesson. She told staffers she had an appointment and would not be able to pick up her daughter, however. Tiffany's dad had made arrangements for "Aunt Susie" to get her at the end of class.

But when Aunt Susie arrived, the class had already exited and Tiffany was nowhere to be found. After searching the deck and locker room, Aunt Susie went into the pool office for assistance.

Ashley and her staff immediately went into action. Fearing the worst, they cleared the pool, cancelled swim lessons and began an intensive search. After checking the deck, filter and pump rooms, locker rooms, restroom stalls and anywhere else a 4-year-old child might be, it was determined Tiffany was no longer in the facility.

Though it was a relief Tiffany hadn't drowned, Ashley still worried that something artful had happened. Could she have been kidnapped?

Now panicked, Ashley notified the park staff and gave a description of the girl. Then she contacted the police to report the child missing.