Virginia YMCA has been hit with a $20 million lawsuit over the death of a 5-year-old boy who drowned in the deep end of a crowded pool — allegedly manned by only one lifeguard who was on her phone.
The devastated mom of little Auston Wingo, Jr. accused the Pulaski County YMCA of having just one lifeguard and three childcare worker present to supervise the at least 38 kids, ages 5 to 10, swimming of the afternoon her son died in 2021, according to the suit filed Monday.
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While Wingo, who couldn’t swim, was in the pool, the lifeguard “began to look at what is thought to be her cellular phone while there were no fewer than 34 program children in the pool,” states the Pulaski County Circuit Court suit from Contessa Gallimore.
The boy “frantically fought for his life in eight feet of water while trying to regain the side of the pool before he lost his life and went under the water, approximately 36 feet in front of the lifeguard stand, without being noticed by any” staff, read the court papers, first reported by local CBS affiliate WDBJ.
The boy and the other children were enrolled in the Y Excel childcare program and were taken swimming during a virtual learning day during the COVID pande
Wingo didn’t know how to swim but no one asked his parents or gave him a test to see what his capabilities were and he wasn’t given any flotation device, the court papers allege.
He “lost his grip on the side of the pool and began struggling,” all within direct view of the lifeguard — but no one noticed him “struggling to stay above water,” the suit claims.
The three childcare workers there “were not properly stationed on the pool deck so as to be able to supervise all the children in the pool,” the filing alleges.
One worker even “abandoned her post on the pool deck,” while another was helping a child with their goggles, and the third wasn’t paying attention to the deep end, the court papers state.
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The devastated mom of little Auston Wingo, Jr. accused the Pulaski County YMCA of having just one lifeguard and three childcare worker present to supervise the at least 38 kids, ages 5 to 10, swimming of the afternoon her son died in 2021, according to the suit filed Monday.
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While Wingo, who couldn’t swim, was in the pool, the lifeguard “began to look at what is thought to be her cellular phone while there were no fewer than 34 program children in the pool,” states the Pulaski County Circuit Court suit from Contessa Gallimore.
The boy “frantically fought for his life in eight feet of water while trying to regain the side of the pool before he lost his life and went under the water, approximately 36 feet in front of the lifeguard stand, without being noticed by any” staff, read the court papers, first reported by local CBS affiliate WDBJ.
The boy and the other children were enrolled in the Y Excel childcare program and were taken swimming during a virtual learning day during the COVID pande
Wingo didn’t know how to swim but no one asked his parents or gave him a test to see what his capabilities were and he wasn’t given any flotation device, the court papers allege.
He “lost his grip on the side of the pool and began struggling,” all within direct view of the lifeguard — but no one noticed him “struggling to stay above water,” the suit claims.
The three childcare workers there “were not properly stationed on the pool deck so as to be able to supervise all the children in the pool,” the filing alleges.
One worker even “abandoned her post on the pool deck,” while another was helping a child with their goggles, and the third wasn’t paying attention to the deep end, the court papers state.
Virginia YMCA sued for $20M after boy drowned in pool as lifeguard was allegedly on her phone
The YMCA was accused of having just one lifeguard and three childcare worker present to supervise at least 38 kids, the afternoon Auston Wingo, Jr. died, the suit says.
nypost.com
