A 19-year-old who died after being pulled from an Atlanta city pool after regular hours didn't know how to swim, family members told Channel 2 Action News.
Daquavious Middlebrooks panicked when he jumped in the water at the Anderson Park pool, family members told the news station. They had no idea he went to the pool after hours.
“I feel like I should’ve just took them to get swimming lessons and stuff like that,” said the victim’s mother, Stacy Thomas. “It could’ve prevented this from happening.”
It's not clear how Middlebrooks got into the pool after it closed Thursday. According to the city website, the pool is scheduled to close at 7 p.m.
In a statement to Channel 2, the city Parks and Recreation Department said, “Safety at all Parks and Recreation facilities is our highest priority. We, again, express our condolences to the family.”
Police earlier told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution they responded to the pool about 9:50 p.m.
Crews from Grady Memorial Hospital and Atlanta Fire Rescue responded and administered CPR, according to police spokeswoman Lisa Bender. Middlebrooks died after being taken to Grady.
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