Houston ISD High School Student Drowns in Pool

Below is an article from the Houston Chronicle about a student drowning in a school's swimming pool.

A 17-year-old high school senior died Thursday afternoon after being pulled from a high school swimming pool.

The student, along with eight to 10 others, were lingering in the natatorium after a physics experiment in the campus pool at Westside High School when a decision was made to jump back in the water, Houston ISD spokesman Terry Abbott said.

Several students jumped into the deep end at the same time, Abbott said.

The student was under water for an estimated three to four minutes before someone saw him at the bottom of the pool. He was pulled to the surface by the physics teacher and another student.

Artificial respiration was started shortly after 3 p.m. at the campus at 14201 Briar Forest near State Highway 6, officials said.

The student was taken to Memorial Hermann Memorial City Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 4:08 p.m., Abbott said.

Students had been told to stay away from the deep end by their teacher, Abbott said.

"It's a horrible accident," he said.

The incident was recorded on a school surveillance camera that is being reviewed by authorities. Counselors will be available to Westside students on Friday, Abbott said.

I am sorry for the young man's family. This is a tragedy. However, I see a lawsuit in the future, a teacher possibly losing his/her job a/long with their teaching credentials, an administrator who will possibly lose his/her job, and a school district who is going to have a LARGE monetary judgment against them.

State law REQUIRES that a trained first responder [IE: lifeguard, coach, or CPO (certified pool operator)] be on deck anytime a swimming pool is in use, that has no other duties than to watch the pool and the participants in the pool area.

What I want to know is why nobody noticed that the student was missing?

It seems to me that MANY people did not do their jobs and as a result, cost someone their life.

If it is the case that the students were playing around and jumped into the pool, it seems to me that perhaps the student himself is somewhat to blame for his own death

However, the law also states that the doors of the pool must be locked when there is no one there to monitor the pool and pool area.

Someone is going to pay BIG TIME. There is no doubt about that.

“It is easy to dodge our responsibilities, but we cannot dodge the consequences of dodging our responsibilities.” - Josiah Charles Stamp