Child dies in Medicine Hat pool drowning during field trip
An 11-year-old student died Monday at Echo Dale Regional Park; the city closed all pools to allow staff to grieve.
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Medicine Hat is reeling after an 11-year-old student died in a suspected drowning at Echo Dale Regional Park on June 16, during a school field trip. The child was reported missing just after 2 p.m. and was located at 3:30 p.m. in the park's swimming lake, staffed by city lifeguards. Police transported the student to Medicine Hat Regional Hospital, where the child was pronounced dead.
The incident has shaken a city of 69,000 in southeast Alberta. Mayor Linnsie Clark said the community is feeling "grief and disbelief and deep heartache."
"I think everyone in Medicine Hat is feeling this loss," Clark told reporters Tuesday. "Tragedies like this touch all of us in ways that are real and lasting."
The city has closed Echo Dale Regional Park while police investigate and municipal officials conduct their own review. Four other municipal pools have also been shut as city staff process the tragedy and acknowledge parents' concerns about scheduled field trips.
"Certainly, I can understand parents who had trips scheduled to Echo Dale are feeling some concern," Clark said. "We are just taking the time that we think is necessary to allow our staff to grieve before reopening the aquatic centres."
The Medicine Hat Public School Division notified parents Monday night and sent a second message Tuesday with resources for discussing grief with children. The division said many students, families, and community members were at the park during the incident. The Catholic school board said it will adjust its year-end field trip schedule but expects swimming activities to resume at other locations once city facilities reopen. No reopening date has been set.