Granby, Conn. (WFSB) – An eighth grader from Springfield, MA has died from drowning at a day camp in Granby, the camp confirmed.
The incident occurred at High Meadow Day Camp on Wednesday.
Many Connecticut schools were going on field trips at that time.
Granby Police said they received a report of a drowning at High Meadow, located at 311 North Granby Road, at about 2:27 p.m.
A Simsbury police officer who was working in a private department at the facility went to the pool area and began treating the boy.
Granby Ambulance took the boy to Connecticut Children’s Medical Center, according to Granby police.
A spokesperson for High Meadow confirmed that the student has been identified as Imari Marshall-Woodard, 14, of Springfield, Massachusetts.
On Wednesday, Springfield Public Schools confirmed that one of their students was taken by ambulance. The district did not disclose the student’s school.
The district released a statement Thursday morning.
The witness describes the incident
Bloomfield’s mother, Abigail, said her eighth-grade son was in the pool at the time of the incident.
“He was like, ‘Okay, the kid was playing with his friend. His friend was throwing water on him and he went a step too far and he slipped six feet,'” Abigail said. “And that’s when we were all urged to get out of the pool.”
His son described a chaotic scene as workers tried to clean the pool and help the boy.
“He came home with a lot of scratches and I was like ‘What happened there?'” Abigail said. “He’s like ‘Everyone was trying to get out of the pool.’ You know, they were all like everybody was running around trying to save the kid. He said he saw the child swimming in the water.
Other students became emotional after seeing what happened. Ambulances from Granby, Windsor Locks, Simsbury and Suffield came to help.
The private day camp had students from several school districts, including Wethersfield, Vernon, Bloomfield and Windham.
Schools address incident with families
Wethersfield school officials sent a message to families of eighth-graders saying they know seeing emergency responders can be upsetting for students. She said Wethersfield students remained safe and were monitored by staff the entire time.
The district could not arrange for an earlier pickup, so transportation went to its original time. Staff plan to talk to students and provide support when they return to school.
The district is asking families to check on their children and reach out if they have any concerns. It says additional support will be available for students who need it.
Windham Middle School confirmed that no Windham students were involved in the incident, but some students were at the location on a scheduled field trip and may have witnessed what happened. The school said its focus has been on ensuring the well-being of students and staff and will continue to provide support as needed.
Police said witnessing traumatic events can be difficult. Anyone who needs help can call 211 to connect with crisis services and other community resources. Many towns provide free advice and assistance to residents.
Granby residents can get counseling and support through the Granby Youth Services Bureau at 860-844-5351 or 860-844-5355.
High Meadow did not respond to questions about how many students were in the pool at the time and how many lifeguards were on duty.
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