6-Year-Old Bethke Elementary Boy Drowns in Community Pool

KATY MAGAZINE NEWS

May 6, 2019

By Natalie Cook Clark

A first grader at Katy ISD's Bethke Elementary drowned in a community pool Sunday afternoon just outside of the King Crossing subdivision.

Boy Drowned at King Crossing Subdivision Community Pool

The six-year-old boy was swimming yesterday afternoon with friends at the community pool at Stockdick School Road and Katy Hockley Cut Off, just outside the King Crossing subdivision. A lifeguard on duty found the boy face down in the pool around 4:00 pm. Emergency services were notified and CPR was performed. The boy was taken to Texas Children's Hospital - West Campus off of Barker Cypress, where he was declared dead. The boy's name has not been revealed yet and the investigation is ongoing.

Bethke Elementary's Principal, Carrie Lowery, notified families this morning of the six-year-old boy's death yesterday.

Letter Sent to Bethke Elementary Families:

Dear Parents/Guardians and Staff,

It is with a heavy heart that we inform you about a recent loss of one of our students. This loss is sure to raise many emotions, concerns, and questions for our entire school, especially our students. Bethke Elementary and Katy ISD have a Crisis Intervention Team made up of professionals trained to help with the needs of students, parents, and school personnel at difficult times such as this. We have counselors and LSSP’s (Licensed Specialists in School Psychology) available for any student who may need assistance surrounding this loss. The Crisis Intervention Team will be on site beginning this morning.

We are saddened by the loss to our school community and will make every effort to help you and your child as needed.

Sincerely,

Carrie Lowery

Principal Bethke Elementary

Drowning is the Number One Unintentional Cause of Child Death

With less than three weeks left of school, summer is fast approaching and with it comes a lot of opportunities for swimming. It's important for parents to re-evaluate their pool safety procedures and to discuss the importance of pool safety with their children.

According to Poolsafety.gov, the state of Texas is tied with Florida for having the most child drownings each year. Drowning remains the number one unintentional cause of death for children in the U.S. ages one to four, and the second leading cause among children ages five to 14.

Important Pool Safety Reminders:

• Learn CPR. Parents and child care providers should know CPR.

• Supervise. Never leave children unsupervised near a pool, hot tub or natural body of water. During gatherings, adults who know how to swim, and aren't distracted, can take turns being the "designated watcher."

• Hire a lifeguard to help out at parties.

• Don't count on an inflatable toy, or floatie - using a swim jacket in the pool or floaties on the arms is not a reason not to watch a child.

• Teach children to swim. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, most children age four and older can learn to swim. Children ages one to four might be able to learn depending on their physical and emotional development. Swimming lessons, however, don't necessarily prevent drowning and aren't a substitute for adult supervision.

• Avoid alcohol. Don't drink alcohol when you are boating, swimming or supervising children who are swimming.

Children and Grief

Each child is uniquely affected by grief and this is largely based on their development. Bethke Elementary stated in their email that the Katy ISD Crisis Intervention Team, along with their counselors, will be available to support students through this difficult time and ensure that all emotional needs are being met.

Parents should talk to their students about their feelings and discuss pool safety leading into the summer months.

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