Household speaks out one week after 9-year-old drowned at Henrico swim camp

HENRICO COUNTY, Va. — One week after 9-year-old King Overton died at a Henrico swim camp, his household is trying to find solutions they worry won’t ever come.

On Monday, the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner decided King died by unintentional drowning at SwimRVA-North, a nonprofit group devoted to swimming and water security.

King’s aunt, Cherry Stone, and household pal Keila Bellamy say the report is extra devastating information for the household, particularly King’s mom, as a result of it guidelines out a medical emergency.

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“LaTaisha, his mother, this is her only child, there are no more other children. There was only King,” Bellamy stated.

Bellamy stated the timeline surrounding King’s loss of life has left his mom with unanswered questions.

“King was in group two, and so group two went swimming from 1:15 to 2:15. He was pulled unresponsive from the pool at around 2:34. She said when she saw him, he was full of water. She doesn’t know if he was in the pool for 30 minutes, 45 minutes. Did he drown during the swim lesson?” Bellamy stated. “She had no idea if free swim was even an option for King, because when she dropped him off that morning, he said, ‘Mommy, I’m going to go in the four feet,’ and she said, ‘No you’re not, you don’t know how to swim,’ and the worker at SwimRVA said to her, ‘Well, he’s in the right place, don’t you worry.'”

Stone stated King was enrolled within the camp particularly to discover ways to swim safely.

“King wanted to learn to swim because we do our annual trip where we go to South Carolina every year, and he wanted to make sure that he could handle being in the pool safely. LaTaisha sent him to swim camp so he could learn how to swim. We just need answers. We need to know what happened,” Stone stated. “In this instance, King was in a place that was supposed to protect and watch him.”

Henrico Police and Commonwealth’s Attorney Shannon Taylor each stated the investigation into King’s loss of life is ongoing.

The Virginia Department of Education stated it has initiated an investigation into the scenario. However, a spokesperson for VDOE stated SwimRVA is just not a licensed program and due to this fact doesn’t should comply with any state-mandated ratios or employees qualification requirements for swimming instructors.

On Saturday, lots of of motorcyclists introduced teddy bears and wore blue whereas driving in honor of King, who liked journey and studying.

Watch: He liked bikes. So 600 RVA riders strapped teddy bears to their bikes in his honor

He liked bikes. So 600 RVA riders strapped teddy bears to their bikes in his honor

Stone stated the outpouring of help has meant an excellent deal to the household.

“King is loved, and he has a village, and the village is hurting right now. Please continue to support us and keep us in your prayers because in the days after, we’re going to need it more than ever,” Stone stated.

A GoFundMe has been established for a service for King.

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