September 24 2016 final

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PINE BARRENS TRIBUNE www.pinebarrenstribune.com Bass River

Medford

Medford Lakes

Vol. 1- No. 4

Pemberton

Pemberton Borough

@PineBarrensNews Shamong

Southampton

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Southeastern Burlington County's News Leader

Washington

Woodland

September 24-30, 2016

Child Drowns At Lake Absegami By Douglas D. Melegari Staff Writer

BASS RIVER---State officials are investigating the drowning death of a four-year-old female child in Bass River Township. Confirmation of the active investigation comes as public concern mounts over the circumstances that led up to the drowning and the lack of information released about it. “A little girl drowning is a big thing to talk about,” said Keet Kagan, whose five-year-old son was a classmate of the victim. “As a parent in Burlington County, we have a right to know who was responsible.” Officials from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJ DEP) have confirmed that the child drowned on Friday, September 2 in Lake Absegami. The victim was airlifted to Cooper University Hospital, but passed away on Sunday, September 4. Officials would not release the name of the victim. Lake Absegami is part of the Bass River State Forest. Swimming is permitted in the lake from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day, in the designated swimming area, while lifeguards are on duty. The swimming area is marked with floating ropes and buoys. The maximum depth in the swimming area is six feet. However, most of the swimming area is much shallower. In season, the New Jersey State Park Service provides lifeguarded swimming at more than a dozen lakes, at state parks and forests, throughout the state. The lifeguards are fully trained by the Park Service and must receive certification from the U.S. Lifesaving Association. NJ DEP officials have confirmed that the investigation so far has revealed that lifeguards were on duty at the time that the drowning occurred. However, officials could not say how long the child was underwater before being rescued or how many lifeguards were supervising the swimming portion of the lake. State officials have also confirmed that the girl was part of a church group from the city of Beverly, New Jersey that was visiting the lake. Officials declined to specify the name of the church group. “Lifeguards were on duty when the drowning occurred,” said Lawrence Hajna, a public information officer for the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. “The lifeguards on duty responded in pulling her from the water and immediately began administering CPR. The lifeguards were then assisted by two off-duty nurses.” However, Kim Walk who was one of the off-duty

A sign marks the entrance of Lake Absegami's swimming area.

Lake Absegami is part of the Bass River State Forest.

nurses who performed CPR on the victim, told the Pine Barrens Tribune on Tuesday that the lifeguards on-duty did not pull the child from the water. Walk said that she was sitting next to one of the lifeguard stands with her family, spending the day at the lake, as the incident unfolded. “I noticed a lifeguard stand up and I looked over in concern,” Walk said. “I saw kids carrying what looked to be another child out of the water.”

PHOTOS BY PAT CARNEY - PINE BARRENS TRIBUNE

View of Lake Absegami's swimming area.

Walk described that nobody was screaming or yelling for help and that there was no sense of urgency when the child was brought out of the water by the children. She noted that the victim was not wearing flotation devices or life preservers. “They carried her to the people up on the beach,” Walk said. “I thought they were just playing.” Walk said that as the lifeguard began to sit down again, a woman began walking

towards the lifeguard stand. “The one woman that they dropped the kid off to then carried the child off to the lifeguard stand,” Walk said. “I saw her drop the child off to the lifeguard and then I jumped into action.” Walk said that she performed a quick assessment on the child and found that she was unresponsive. “I turned to my mother and told her to call LAKE>>PAGE 4


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September 24 2016 final by Pine Barrens Tribune - Issuu