A post-mortem examination (PM) performed on the body of 14-year-old Joel Adams has ruled out drowning as the cause of the teen’s demise. The teen died following a swimming incident at the National Aquatic Centre at Liliendaal, East Coast Demerara last Tuesday.
According to the PM report, Adams succumbed to a fractured spine and blunt trauma to the neck. The injuries appear consistent with the police report which, according to an eyewitness, saw the teen performing a backflip before a lifeguard leaped in to rescue him. It is suspected that the teen might have hit himself while coming in contact with the bottom of the pool.
He was taken out of the pool and attended to by a nurse there on stand-by. An ambulance was summoned, and he was taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.
Adams was a student of Dennis Street, Sophia Care Centre. His death has attracted much attention with many, including politicians weighing in on the tragedy. One such politician, Nima Flue-Bless, an opposition legislator is on record labelling the death as carelessness on the part of the government.
“The lack of professionalism and negligence on the part of the Ministry of Youth, Sport and Culture are responsible for the tragic death of 14-year-old Joel Adams. His death has left our community in shock and sorrow,” she said.
Before the issuance of the PM report, the Member of Parliament added, “From all accounts, Joel’s death appears to be the result of inadequate supervision and the absence of the required certified personnel.”
