The Incident
Bryan Henrique de Souza de Barros, seven, drowned in a swimming pool at Olinda Via Park in Olinda, a town on Brazil's northeast coast, on Saturday afternoon. He was pulled out of the water by a female visitor after being found unconscious. A firefighter working at the park provided first aid before he was taken to an urgent care unit, where he later died.
Pool Depth and Safety Concerns
The boy's family said the pool appeared shallow but reached depths exceeding 1.6 metres in places. They reportedly claimed there were no signs indicating the pool's depth or restricting children's access.
Family's Grief and Investigation
Bryan's great-uncle, police commissioner José da Silva, told local media the boy's parents and grandparents 'are too distraught to speak at the moment'. He said: 'But we'll investigate, because someone was negligent.' Bryan's mother, Emilly, who is nine weeks pregnant with her second child, had gone to the toilet when the drowning took place. Paying tribute, José said: 'He was a happy, lively little boy. He loved playing with all of us. We were a very close family.'
Park Response and Burial
In a statement, Olinda Via Park said it had suspended operations indefinitely. It added that it remained in contact with Bryan's family to offer support and assistance and was fully cooperating with the authorities investigating the incident. Bryan was laid to rest at Santo Amaro Cemetery in Recife. José added: 'My family is devastated, but I'm going to investigate so we can get some answers, because this can't just be left like this.'
