A 14-year-old of the Sophia Care Centre in Dennis Street, Georgetown, died yesterday afternoon after attempting a somersault on the springboard in one of the pools during a training session at the National Aquatic Centre located in Liliendaal.
The dead youth has been identified as Joel Adams. He was part of a swimming programme called, Teach Them Young Swimming which is hosted by the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport and the National Sports Commission’s (NSC).
Persons would normally go to the aquatic centre for swimming classes and the children would be left in the care of the instructors. Yesterday afternoon, Adams did a ‘back flick’ on the spring board and went under water. The life guard saw what happened and went to his aid. The emergency medical personnel from the centre carried out CPR on the child and continued to do so until he reached the Georgetown Public Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.
An eyewitness told the Stabroek News yesterday that there were several instructors present at the 14.00 to 15.00 hours training session and that the session caters mostly for persons between the ages of 11-18. The class comprised approximately 60 children. An instructor had whistled to indicate the training session was finished and that everyone should come out of the water. Then she saw Adams run back to the warmup pool and do the ‘back flick’ and go under the water.
The police today issued the following release:
𝐃𝐑𝐎𝐖𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆’ 𝐀𝐓 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐀𝐐𝐔𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐂 𝐂𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐑𝐄
Joel Adams, a 14-year-old student of Dennis Street Sophia Care Centre, lost his life at about 15:05 hrs yesterday (Tuesday) at the National Aquatic Centre at Liliendaal, East Coast Demerara.
Investigations revealed that Adams left the Care Centre with a group of children at about 13:30 hrs and went to the Aquatic Centre for a swim programme.
Miss Khemwatti Dasrat, the Caretaker, related that at about 14:55 hrs, she heard the whistle blow at the Aquatic Centre, and the children started to exit the pool.
One of the swim coaches related that she saw when Adams back-flick into the pool, and the Life Guard jumped in the pool to rescue him. He was taken out of the pool and attended to by a Nurse there on stand-by. An ambulance was summoned, and he was taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.
