Classmates to say goodbye to drowning victim Damari on Saturday

CLASSMATES and students of La Brea RC Primary School are expected to join mourners in saying a last goodbye to drowning victim Damari Jeffrey on Saturday.

Jeffrey, five, drowned in the adult pool at Fun Splash Water Park, Debe, last Sunday, Republic Day, during a birthday celebration for his cousin.

He was a first-year student, and although he started attending school on September 4, his grandmother Laura Jeremiah told the Newsday he made quite an impression on his classmates in that short time.

Jeremiah said the school was hoping the funeral would be on Friday, for students and his teachers to attend the service.

The service will be held at the La Brea RC Church, which is next door to the school.

“However, the funeral home also had a service already booked for Friday at that same church, so they fixed Saturday for my grandson,” Jeremiah said.

Damari will be laid to rest at the La Brea cemetery.

An autopsy said he died from drowning. Investigations are still continuing into the circumstances that led to his death.

Pool attendants and EMTs tried to resuscitate Damari, who was said to be still breathing when he was taken by ambulance to the San Fernando General Hospital, where he was declared dead some hours after.

Family members who were with him could not recall how he managed to get from the kiddies' section of the pool to the adult area, where he was found motionless.There were no cameras in the pool area to provide video footage to help retrace the events that led to his death.

Fun Splash owner Vijay Ramai said, “None of us knows the facts.”

He explained there were no cameras to protect his customers' privacy.

“When people come to the water park they dress in all different ways, and you don’t want to intrude on their privacy.

“At the end of the day, we earn a living out of our customers, and it is important to make an honest effort to ensure our customers are safe and comfortable.”

Ramai has been in contact with Damari’s family and offered his support. Jeremiah has expressed her gratitude.

Ramai said he knows how emotionally draining this loss would be for the family, especially those who were there when he drowned. He said he will stand with the family as they go through their grief.