Drowned Couva boy Romelu turns three 'in heaven'

Romelu Drakes would have turned three on Friday, and relatives plan to celebrate his life by releasing balloons, as a way of expressing their grief.

Romelu, who had a speech delay, drowned in a pool at his speech-therapy school in Couva school on March 16.

Before the tragedy, Romelu’s parents – Shion Drakes and Regine Phillip – and other relatives were planning a party to celebrate his third birthday. He was the couple's only child.

On Friday, Drakes spoke briefly to Newsday, saying he planned to release balloons and clean his son’s gravesite. Romelu was buried at the Preysal cemetery after a funeral at Balmain Worship Centre in Couva on March 24.

"We are doing the best we could right now. He would have been three today.

"We have no update on the investigation," Drakes said.

On how Phillip is coping, Drakes said: " Not good at all. She is still in a terrible state."

Romelu was named after his father’s favourite footballer, Belgian striker Romelu Lukaku.

On March 16, the staff at the Romelu's Esperanza Village school reportedly found him motionless and floating in an above-ground pool, which has a ladder, in the yard.

He was taken to the Couva district health facility, where doctors declared him dead.

At his funeral last month, pastor Richard Mohammed told mourners Romelu was in heaven, where he is being cared for.

Since the drowning, police investigators from Central Division have interviewed several people, including staff. Police said the investigation is ongoing but did not give additional information.