Sixteen-year-old boy drowns at city pool, witnesses recall the rescue
A 16-year-old boy is dead after drowning in a city pool in the Fifth Ward. It happened around 4:30 p.m. on Saturday near Russell Street at Tuffly Park.
"Sad. Just super sad. Too young," said Edmond Bell, a resident in the Fifth Ward.
A day at Tuffley Park turned deadly when the 16-year-old boy drowned in a closed city pool. Officials said prior to the drowning, the teen and a group of friends hopped the fence surrounding the perimeter of the pool. The pool was closed to the public for the season following Labor Day Weekend.
"I saw the ambulance here. They already had him out of the pool, and they were just like, pumping his chest," said Rosa Loredo, a long-time resident in the Fifth Ward.
Houston police said the teenager went down a water slide into eight or nine feet of water and was unable to swim back up to the surface.
"One guy was hollering hysterically, and then they said the person had died," said Mario Gambino, another resident in the Fifth Ward.
Rosa Loredo has lived near Tuffly Park for decades. She said she spoke to one of the teens at the pool that fateful afternoon.
"She said that she was trying to pull him out, but he was too heavy for her. She was real petite," said Loredo. "They said that somebody from out here took off his shirt, jumped the gate, and he’s the one who went in there and took him out."
The drowning serves as a stark reminder of the dangers of ignoring warning signs.
"Honestly, people just need to keep an eye on their kids and keep track of what they are doing," said Bell.
The teenager was taken to Memorial Hermann Hospital in critical condition, where he died.