The Hartford Courant reported this month on the tragic drowning death of a young high school freshman.  Our swimming pool drowning lawyer knows that the worst season for these accidents is the summer, when many more people hit the waters to beat the heat.  However, it should not be forgotten that winter tragedies also occur.  Wherever there is water, the risks of injury are present. 

What seems particularly disturbing about this latest incident is that the drowning occurred in the middle of a high school swim class.  According to the story, 15-year old Marcum Asiamah, a freshman at East Hartford School, was participating in a swimming class with other students when the tragedy struck.  Details about the incident remain murky, and local authorities have yet to release any concrete findings.  What little has been reported suggests that no one knows for sure when the boy went under water.  All that is known is that at some point during the lesson he was spotted at the bottom of the pool by other swimmers.  Those nearby pulled him out of the water and emergency responders were called.  CPR was being performed when the crew arrived, but it was to no avail.  The boy did not survive the incident.

The school’s superintendent issued a very brief statement noting that “student safety is of paramount concern, and the school district will continue to work with the East Hartford Police Department to investigate this incident.  The pool will remain closed pending this investigation.”

Obviously Marcum’s family and friends—as well as all concerned community members—likely have many questions.  The most obvious one would be how the young man could have fallen under the water surrounded by others without someone noticing before it was too late.  It is particularly shocking when one considers that there must have been teachers or other adults around providing supervision and leading the less.  It is unacceptable for lax supervision to be provided to students at these times—particularly because the students likely have no choice but to participate in the lesson.

It will be incumbent upon all those involved to ask very tough questions to figure out exactly what happened here.  Our swimming pool drowning lawyer knows that a range of factors could have been in play.  Beyond figuring out whether there was proper supervision, other issues need to be addressed.  For example, water clarity may have been involved.  If the water was even the least bit murky, the cloudiness may have prevented observers from seeing the struggling student quickly enough when he slipped under.

If you or someone you know is dealing with a situation such as the one here, be sure to get in touch with legal professionals to learn more about how the law applies in these cases.  Our national renowned swimming pool accident attorney, Jesse Guerra, has worked on dozens of cases just like this one.  Known as the nation’s “go to” pool drowning lawyer and swimming safety advocate, Mr. Guerra helps families in the aftermath of these incidents who want to ensure that another tragedy is prevented.

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