A nine-year-old boy died after drowning in the swimming pool at Spring Lake Park Swim Facility in North Mankato. Record-breaking temperatures of 100 degrees Farenheight drew more than 1,000 people to the North Mankato pool on Saturday. About 40 minutes before the pool’s closing time of 7 p.m., Abdirahman Abdullahi was found unresponsive in about 4.5 feet of water. Lifeguards removed him from the water and began CPR by the time emergency crews arrived. Abdullahi was taken to Mayo Clinic Health System Mankato where his death was confirmed. Abdullahi was a fourth-grader at Hoover Elementary School.
At the time of the drowning, there were 18 lifeguards on duty in addition to six facility staff members. The pool was temporarily closed while officials investigated the facility’s safety procedures. Spring Lake Park Swim Facility is set to re-open next week with limited capacity, additional lifeguards on-duty, the addition of a staff safety monitor, more signage, and increased enforcement.
There were 600 swimmers in the pool at the time of the drowning, many of whom have expressed their support and sympathy for the family on social media. People who witnessed the drowning have described it as a “horrifying” incident. Community members started an online fundraiser for the family.
Swimming pool drownings happen too frequently in Minnesota
Each year in Minnesota, about 40 people die in swimming pool drownings because negligent facilities and property owners fail to meet the proper safety standards needed to keep people safe. Swimming pool drownings have a devastating impact on families and can cause lifelong injuries or death. Child pool and spa drownings are already on the rise across the country this year due to delayed swim lessons and an increase in at-home pool and spa installations during the pandemic.
Our pool injury and wrongful death lawyers help Minnesota families get the justice and compensation they need to move forward with their lives. In one recent case, our law firm helped a family who lost their son who drowned in a swimming pool during gym class at St. Louis Park Middle School. Our team received an “Attorneys of the Year” award from Minnesota Lawyer for the groundbreaking result they achieved for the family.
If you or someone you love was impacted by a swimming pool drowning, the first step you should take is to contact an experienced attorney. It is important to act quickly in order to preserve evidence and because there is limited time to file a lawsuit after an injury. If you would like to talk to one of our lawyers about your potential case, please fill out the form below, call 612-338-0202, or text 612-261-0856.