Manchester police have determined that the drowning of a Manchester High School student at the school pool the day before Thanksgiving last year does not warrant criminal prosecution and they have closed the case.
Malvrick Donkor, a 14-year-old freshman at the high school, drowned during a swimming class at the pool on Wednesday, Nov. 21, 2012, a half-day of school before a long weekend for Thanksgiving, officials said.
“Malvrick Donkor’s death is tragic at best. However, based on my investigation, there is no probable cause to warrant criminal prosecution,” Manchester Police Detective Wayne Mora said in his summary of the case.
According to police reports, Donkor was underwater for 17 minutes before being pulled from the bottom of the pool. His death was ruled an accidental drowning.
A police report released on Tuesday says Malvrick had been in the shallow end of the pool during the physical education class, but climbed out, walked to the deep end and lowered himself into the pool.
He held onto the edge of the pool and slipped underwater while the physical education was supervising students who were using the diving board, according to police.
Students police interviewed said Malvrick normally stayed in the shallow end because he was not a strong swimmer. They did not know why he climbed into the deep end and no one saw him go under, according to reports.
About 20 students were in the pool that day and the combination of students diving, splashing in the pool and overhead lights apparently concealed him from other students’ view, according to police.
When the class was ending, a student noticed Donkor at the bottom of the pool and alerted the teacher, who performed CPR and directed students to call in help, police said.
Marcum Asiamah, a 15-year-old freshman at East Hartford High School, died of asphyxia due to submersion in January. He drowned during a physical education class on Jan. 11.