KALANGALA, UGANDA: Police in Kalangala are investigating circumstances under which a nursery school teacher drowned and died in a swimming pool at Pearl Beach Gardens where she had gone to have fun with her friends.
The incident happened on Monday, April 18, 2022, when the 20-year-old Maria Flavia Nakyejwe, a nursery school teacher at Bufumira Primary School had gone to the beach with a friend to have fun as part of her Easter celebrations.
Nakyejwe whose dreams were shattered by the depth of the swimming pool is said to have raised a distress call after getting to the deeper side of the pool as she tried out swimming but no one came to her rescue in time until she went unconscious.
A medical report issued by Kalangala Health Centre IV where the deceased had been rushed for medication confirmed that she died of suffocation after failing to grasp oxygen when she drowned further.
Nakyejwe’s friend whom she had gone with identified as Christine Nabankema said they had gathered in a group of six at the poolside to have fun and when it approached 7pm, the deceased told them that she wanted to relax a bit and she left to enter the swimming pool.
“Little did we know that she [Flavia] had jumped into the swimming pool. After about 30 minutes, one of us moved around looking for her, only to see [the body of] our friend floating in the swimming pool,” Nakankema said as she mourned the demise of her friend.
The beach which is owned by former MP Mulindwa Birimumaaso has for the past seven years had such catastrophes as people drowning in the lakeside of the beach.
Nakyejwe becomes the second person to die at the same hotel in a space of four years, the first being a disc jockey who drowned in the lake. This prompted management of the beach to ban revelers from swimming in the lake.
Mr Sam Kwesiga, a diver and one of the Red Cross volunteers found at the scene advised all hotel proprietors owning swimming pools to hire instructors and safety personnel to handle such emergencies.
“Swimming pools must be a no go area beyond 6 pm and there should be trained people around to enforce that,” he said.
Mr Muhammad Nsubuga, the Southern Regional Police Spokesperson confirmed the incident, saying police have started investigating how the circumstances under which Flavia died.
“Her death is under investigation and our team in Kalangala is yet to record statements from friends and managers of the beach,” he said.
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