EspañolStudent At Chino High School Student Died Following Medical Emergency at School’s Aquatic Center
CHINO, CALIFORNIA (July 2, 2024) – A Chino High School student has tragically died after suffering a medical emergency while at the school’s aquatic center.
Chino Valley Unified School District officials are saying that the incident took place around 3:00 p.m. on Friday. An incoming freshman football player suffered some type of medical emergency while in the pool.
The boy had to be pulled out of the swimming pool after the incident. Paramedics arrived at the scene within five minutes. The student was rushed to the hospital, where he was put on life support.
Sadly, he was later pronounced dead at the hospital. The school district described him as “an outstanding student, compassionate friend, and fierce athlete.”
Students and school officials were in a state of shock over the sudden and unexpected death. A full investigation into what happened remains ongoing at this time.
Liability For On-Campus Student Deaths
Student injuries and hospitalizations remain extremely common across the United States. Most of the injuries occur during sports and other recreational activities. According to Advent Health, “With scholarships and college acceptances on the line, high school sports have become more competitive and challenging. High school athletes account for over 2 million yearly injuries, with 30,000 leading to hospitalizations.” Schools should take a number of measures in order to prevent students from being injured during sports activities.
- Qualified Coaches and Staff: Schools should ensure that all coaches and staff are properly trained in first aid and CPR. They should also be able to identify the signs that a student is suffering from a medical emergency.
- Appropriate Equipment: Schools should ensure that all sports equipment is high quality and properly maintained.
- Health Screenings: Schools should conduct regular health and fitness assessments to determine if students have underlying health conditions.
- Emergency Action Plans: Injuries and illnesses are predictable. Schools must have well thought out emergency action plans. They should also have first-aid kits and AEDs (automated external defibrillators).
Schools have a legal obligation to protect all of the students in their care. Consider, for example, Taylor v. Oakland Scavenger Co., 17 Cal. 2d 594 [110 P.2d 1044], “It is the duty of the school authorities to supervise at all times the conduct of the children on the school grounds and to enforce those rules and regulations necessary to their protection.” When school officials fail to protect students from reasonably foreseeable sources of harm, this could form the basis of a negligence claim.
Schools must be particularly cautious when students are in the water. Consider the tragic death of a 15-year-old freshman at San Ramon Valley High School. Students were asked to tread water for three minutes. One student went underwater for an extended period, and no one initially noticed until the next swimming class started. He was later pronounced dead at the hospital. The school district ultimately settled with the family shortly before the case was going to go to trial. Several steps should be taken after any death in a school setting.
- Eyewitnesses should be interviewed.
- Medical records should be preserved.
- An independent autopsy may need to be performed.
- An experienced personal injury attorney should be contacted.
Many school accidents and injuries are preventable. They tend to involve faculty and staff that aren’t particularly well trained. In fact, a 16-year-old girl at Brawley Union High School recently died after a PE teacher asked her to keep running until she began having seizures and later died. It is important that parents understand that they do have rights in these situations. The family of any student who died in school may be able to seek some measure of justice through a wrongful death claim.
Investigating Student Deaths In Los Angeles County
We at the Carrillo Law Firm, LLP extend our deepest condolences to the family of the student who died at Chino High School. Any person who may have more information about what happened should reach out to the police. There needs to be a thorough investigation for the sake of the victim’s family. It is our sincere hope that measures are taken to prevent other tragedies like this.
Do you need more information about any incident at Chino High School? Our team of personal injury attorneys are here to answer any questions that you may have. We care deeply that accident victims get the support and justice that they are entitled to under the law. Whether you just have legal questions or need any type of support, we are here for you. You can reach out to us anytime at 626-799-9375.
