The Guyana Police Force in a release yesterday confirmed that Joel Adams, a 14-year-old of the Sophia Care Centre in Dennis Street, Georgetown, died on Tuesday 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, Greater Georgetown.
Investigations revealed that Adams left the Care Centre with a group of children at about 13.30 hours and went to the Aquatic Centre to participate in a swim programme.
Khemwatti Dasrat, the caretaker, related to the police that at about 14.55 hours, 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-flipped into the pool, and the lifeguard jumped into the pool to rescue him. He was taken out of the pool and attended to by a nurse who was part of the Centre’s emergency response team. An ambulance was summoned, and he was taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival, the release confirmed.
An eyewitness had told Stabroek News on Tuesday that there were several instructors present at the 2 pm to 3 pm 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 blown a whistle to indicate that the training session was over and that everyone should come out of the water. It was then she saw Adams run back to the warm-up pool and do the ‘back flick’ and go under the water.
