Last week we reported on the tragic drowning accident involving twenty-two year old Kevin Akinfeleye at a late-night party.   The young man died last week while swimming with over thirty other guests at a public party at the Broadwater Mansion—a well-known facility used to house various gatherings. According to those at the scene, the man went into the pool with friends around 1 a.m.  Eventually his friends saw Akinfeleye slip under the water and not resurface.   Concerned for his safety, the friends talked to security guards about his disappearance and then called 911 to report the possible drowning.  Paramedics arrived to investigate, but they were turned away by off-duty police officers who had been hired to provide security for the event.  Each of the five officers were in uniform while at the party.    

It wasn’t until two hours later when the event was nearing an end that the young man’s body was discovered at the bottom of the pool.  It remains unclear why the officers would turn rescuers away or conduct even the most basic checks to ensure that no swimmer was in distress after hearing of the possible swimming pool drowning.  At the very least, common sense should have dictated that the pool be emptied so that rescuers could investigate.  Witnesses report that the water was particularly murky during the party, making it even more dangerous to swimmers—and making a check of the water even more essential following a report of a drowning.

WUSA News reports that the young man’s mother is understandably asking all those with information about the event to come forward and help piece together the tragic events that led to the accident.  The party in question had been advertised as a “pool party” by a group labeling itself “UCP.”  Videos promoting the gathering even appeared on YouTube.   Upwards of 300 people may have ultimately bought tickets to the event.

The local health department has conducted an investigation since the latest report, uncovering disturbing information about the lack of pool safety measures taken by organizers of the event.  The health department indicated that this type of gathering makes the pool public and subject to regulation.  When a public pool is being used for a public event such as the one here, regulations require that lifeguards be present to protect swimmers who use the water.  No lifeguards were present during the party. 

In addition, tough questions are being asked of the owner of the mansion, a former state senator, regarding the condition of the pool.  As our pool accident attorney has explained, murky water always presents an incredibly dangerous situation.  No swimmers should ever be allowed to get into water that lacks the proper clarity levels, because it is often impossible for struggling swimmers to be spotted.  Of course, it may be downright reckless to host a public pool party, charge others admissions to the party, and then fail to ensure that the pool which is the centerpiece of the gathering is in safe swimming condition.  It is clear that many of those involved with this gathering need to come forward and be held accountable for what occurred.  The young man’s family deserves answers from the facility owner and party sponsors about what exactly happened and whether the swimming pool drowning should have been prevented.   

See Our Related Blog Posts:

Swimming Pool Drowning Strikes As Police Officers Fail to Notice Body

More Than Fifty Citations Issued After Child Drowns in Public Pool