(Springfield Police Crime Scene Investigators are seen at the school)
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WGGB) – A student has drowned at a Springfield middle school in what school officials call a “tragic accident.”
“Our deep felt condolences, our heartfelt condolences go out to the family. We just can’t imagine the enourmity of this loss for this family,” said Superintendent Daniel Warwick.
Emergency crews were called to Kiley Middle School on Cooley Street around 2:00 p.m.
Springfield Police says that the 12-year-old boy was rushed to Baystate Medical Center where the child was pronounced dead.
At a press conference Friday night, an emotional Superintendent of Schools Daniel Warwick expressed his “deepest condolences” to the family of the student and says that a “full and thorough investigation” is underway.
Warwick confirmed that the incident, which he calls a “tragic accident,” occurred during a swim class that was part of the district’s physical education program.
“We had supervision in the pool with our physical education teacher,” said Warwick.
According to Warwick swimming classes will be suspended until the investigation is complete.
It’s an accident unlike any Warwick has seen before.
“Never in my memory and I go back a long way in the school system,” said Warwick.
“First of all our deepest sympthy and condolences to the family. It’s an irreplaceeable loss, many of us have children that age younger or older and you can only imagine that,:” said Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno.
The school district will be working to establish counseling for anyone effected by the death and information on that will be disseminated via the district’s ConnectEd system.
School officials are not releasing the boys name.
Holy **** I went to that school for 6 grade crazy
Praying for the responders, police, EMS and fire. May they be able to go on doing what they do so well.
Praying for this childs family.
rest in peace
prayers to the friends and family.
No damn excuse for this
So sad – so preventable payers go out to the family…
r.i.p… prayers to the family and friends… i went to that school years ago
Omg!!!Who was Watching the Kids????
praying for the family so sad..
How many more children must die? Something has got to be done. Swimming pools are too dangerous. We must ban ALL pools over 10 inches deep.
We don’t know how this happened yet, so I will only say I am so sorry for the family. Tragic.
how does something like this happen where was the teacher omg
may he rest in peace! but where was the teachers at??? or security,they need to install camaras and in a pool area they need someone to be alert that no kids are there with out autorization and people adults to watch it! and needs to be lock when no adult in there! I think this was also an inrespinsability!
May his family have strength and peace!
So tragic. Thoughts and blessings for the family. As we have no details how is blame passed? Perhaps it was a medical situation or some other circumstance. Cant imagine how staff of the school are feeling as well. Sad for all involved
please schools if you have pools be very alert and responsable about it!
My condolences to the family but I don’t understand how something like this could happen during a supervised class. Someone’s gonna lose their job….
As for the child, rest in peace, sweetheart.
Was he swimming alone it takes a few mins to drown…no swim coach or other students to help??? If that’s the case the school isn’t responsible enough to hold swim classes if this happens with no one to come to his rescue! Prayers to his family…if it were my son I’d loose my mind.
Omg..my heart goes out to his family**I have a 12yo son…I can only imagine :’(
News you don’t like to hear. RIP angel
This is sad! Where was the adults for the class?
How could that have happened??? My condolences to his family and friends. Someone has a lot of explaining to do!!! What ashame!!!
I went to that school a long time ago and based on experience that pool is very deep. Why couldnt someone rescue the student or did the student go in after gym. Its very sad and shouldnt happened.
My son goes to that school and that was his gym class it happened in… He was dismissed early today so he missed gym.. I’m sadden and grateful that my son is ok and he wasn’t a witness to Such a tragedy…
they need to have someone adult in charge of the pool area at all times and make sure all the students are gone before closing the pool area and lock it! this was had to be thar no responsable adult was there! this is so inresponsable! May that kid rest in peace,strenght and peace for the family! and schols if you have pools be alert and responsable!
So sorry to here this. Prayers go out for this family. I often wondered about swimming in these schools. You have teachers that never get into the water. Too much pressure is put on the kids about taking swimming. No child should be in the pool without supervision! Something needs to be done about this. NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND!!!
maybe the parents should sue the school for not having a lifeguard or a responsable adult watching and jumping in imediatly to save the kid!
ughh! this shouldnt had happen with the propper reaponsability from the school pool responsable people! Not right at all,too sad!
I had a situation about two weeks ago regarding my son at kiley going swimming. I told the principle he couldn’t go swimming because he was sick she agreed,and then they gave my don swum stuff and made him swim. I flipped the Hell out on them ugh…. Smh this situation today is sad, and very much preventable!
Yeaa Jessica ligus this is Springfield schools my son went there for 2 years we moved thank God kids in the guidance office walked around swearing and noone said anything kids always beating on echother bullying nonstop the school just don’t care sad know they’ll care!! They got cops there and it still goes on so no hands on yea they got but noone listens all I can say is my prayers go to the family and so sorry to hear bout this tragedy u have to deal with ur children shouldn’t fear if they’re gonna make it home
medic3 should be able to handle that yes they are human but that’s your job. im praying for other kids who were there and the family
“Springfield Police Officer Charles Youmans says that the 12-year-old student was taking part in a swim class when the incident occurred.”
Prayers are with the boys family and classmates. At our school we have very strick rules when it comes to the pool area doors are closed untill teacher opens and tells them to come in . The students are givin a swim test before any activity ex games or water arobics. So the teacher can see your strength or weaknesses.
A lot of people are stating “he” no disrespect but do we know for sure it was a boy or did I miss something in the news post? Anyways prayers to the family of the child!! RIP
All you folks eager to pass blame and judgement you wernt there you dont know the facts.
Have you ever voluntered or attended a funtion in a springfield school. Well I did, that school I had 30 minutes to do a presentation the teachers spent 25 of those minutes keeping the kids orderly. ( referring to the hands off comment)
The only thing we should be doing is praying for those impacted by this tragedy and offer any support we can give.
Yes, let’s take this 1 in a million opportunity to sue the schools and cause the next 20 years of children to be even that much dumber. BRILLIANT idea, Mary.
erie, went ther in 87. well, BAN the pool! Fire the administrators
How many kids in class with only one physical education teacher? When I went there (ahem it was 1989-1991 ) there were two gym teachers holding the class. One in the pool with the students and the other watching over us in the pool. Tragic this happened and hope that there was enough supervision and not all on one teacher with probably 25-30 kids in the class. I assume and have no idea. My head is swarming with what went wrong and how this tragic event happened.
someone who went there said the child was pushed in during swim class yea he may have been IN a swim class.. but teacher should be held responsible for not acting school should be held responsible for for poor choices and are theSe teachers trained to save lives and if the case is that this child was pushed in thee other child should also be held responsible isn’t there a no hands policy in schools and also let the punishment fit the crime yes accidents happen but i grew up with “accidents don’t happen- people do”
So sad. Prayers to the family. Obviously someone wasn’t doing their job correctly. This shouldn’t have happened at all. And if someone pushed the child in why didn’t anyone save him? Why didn’t anyone help him? And yes whoever pushed him in should go to jail. They knew what they were doing.
Yet again, News 40 gets their story AND their pictures wrong. Turning a tragedy into sensationalism.
its not the wrong picture.. thats the back of the school heading to the pool area
OMG
Went there years ago for seventh and eighth grade a girl got raped during our swim class we had two teachers supervising (supposably). Never took swimming again after that… I agree BAN swimming pools in schools!
Ban pools that’s the dumbest thing Ive heard teach these how to swim better and more supervision God Bless this child and his family
What a horrific accident-thoughts and prayers go out to the family. What a terrible ending to what is supposed to be a good day ( the day before winter break). No one should be rushing to judgement or blaming any one till the facts are known. I am sure the many caring teachers and administrators as well as students who were there are shaken to the core by this event. Symathy goes out to all who are affected.
I truly hope this was not a case of dunking
Sueing the city or school is not gonna bring this child back to there family!! Money don’t and wont take the heartache and pain away!! So really everyone who says Sue Sue put yourself in the families shoes I’d rather have my baby back money will never ever take what that family’s going through away!!! Or bring their child back!
I don’t think that excluding swim lessons from the curriculum is a good idea. This is a horrible accident that definitely could have been prevented. Water safety is a crucial element in a child’s education and I think it can help prevent drownings. But safety should always come first. I think one thing the school board should consider implementing would be to hire lifeguards for the swimming portions of physical education classes. Someone who isn’t there to teach but just purely to watch the kids. Someone who doesn’t go into the locker room in between periods or into the gym to take attendance. A lifeguard who can stay in the pool area for the entire day of swim PE classes. Yes It is an expense on the school, but in the end, children’s lives are worth way more then what it would cost to pay the guards. Prayers go out to the family and anyone involved in this tragedy. Hopefully we can prevent this in the future
May his young soul R.I.P. </3
As a parent, this gives me goosebumps. Can you imagine getting that call from your child's school?