A yet-to-be-identified couple has been devastated and grief-stricken after their three children drowned in a swimming pool on their estate in the Ajah area of Lagos State on Sunday, June 12, 2022.
According to media reports, the couple had gone for an event when the three children left their house to swim in the pool. Although the circumstance surrounding the tragedy is yet to be ascertained.
Reports state that some residents, including security members on the estate, found the children lying motionless in the pool, recovered the children and rushed them to a nearby hospital, where they were confirmed dead.
“The incident happened on an estate in Ajah. The estate has a pool generally accessible to residents. The three siblings were the only children of their parents. When their parents left home for an event, they went swimming at the general pool and drowned.
“The Chief Security Officer of the estate was part of the people that found the children unresponsive and quickly rushed them to a hospital, where they were confirmed dead. They also quickly alerted the Ajah Police Station and also informed the parents that something urgent that required their attention had happened, but didn’t disclose what happened to their children.
“So, the parents quickly aborted their outing. It was when they met the CSO and others that they were informed that their children drowned. Upon hearing that all their three children had died, both husband and wife fainted and were rushed to a hospital, where they were revived.
“The children are all girls; the first child was 14-year-old; the second child was seven-year-old and the third child was three-year-old. The incident happened towards evening,” the source said.
Reacting to the development in a tweet, the state Police Public Relations Officer, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, while commiserating with the bereaved family, condemned the estate management for not having readily available lifeguards to monitor activities around the pool.
“Just a piece of advice, do not use a swimming pool without an on-duty lifeguard. Do not swim at beaches without capable hands around. People are losing loved ones to avoidable drowning. Three siblings recently drowned together. Eldest was a teenager. Be careful out there,” the tweet reads.
