A Class VI student of a well-known ICSE school in Asansol town drowned in its swimming pool on Thursday morning.
School authorities said that a four-day summer camp was being held at St Vincent’s High and Technical School, the second oldest English-medium institute in the town, established in 1927.
Adrik Hilerio, 11, drowned while swimming in the pool. Though he was brought out of the water by two swimming trainers and rushed to a nearby Asansol district hospital by school authorities, doctors declared him dead on arrival.
School authorities cancelled the summer camp that started on Tuesday.
School authorities said that Adrik and four of his classmates were swimming in the pool around 7am.
“Suddenly, Adrik went under in the 8.5ft deep swimming pool. The swimming trainers immediately dived in and brought out the boy. We rushed him to the hospital but he was declared dead on arrival,” said a school official who did not want to be named.
Police have started a probe.
“As of now, we have not received any complaint from the deceased’s parents. We have registered the incident as an unnatural death and started an investigation. We have also sealed the swimming pool for investigations,” said Dhruba Das, deputy commissioner of police (central division) of Asansol Durgapur Police Commissionerate.
Some parents and residents gathered at the school campus after the news of the death spread. Some blamed the school authorities for allegedly not taking adequate precautions.
“My son studies in this school and often swims in the pool. I am shocked and worried after the child’s death. We demand a proper inquiry into the incident,” said Saikat Chatterjee, a parent.
School principal Ravi Victor said the incident was unfortunate.
“The student was swimming at the pool as usual with some of his classmates. He drowned suddenly. I am shocked and speechless. We will cooperate with the police in the investigation,” he said.
Victor said there were two swimming trainers present at the spot during the training. “They both joined in the rescue within a few seconds of noticing that Adrik was drowning,” said Victor.
Asked whether Adrik knew how to swim, the principal said yes.
“The boy knew swimming. We cannot understand why and how he drowned,” said Victor.
Bereaved father Ancel Hilerio, a private company employee and a resident of the town, was too shocked to speak. “I am unable to speak now. I have just lost my son,” he sobbed.
The body of Adrik was handed over to the family after the post-mortem in the afternoon. “Water first enters the airway and then the lungs.... Most likely, this death is due to hypoxia (deprivation of oxygen supply at the tissue level). This can happen within a few seconds of drowning. However, the autopsy report will give a clearer picture,” said a doctor at the hospital.
Sources in the hospital said not much water was found in the boy’s lungs as he was pulled out of the water soon.