9-year-old boy dies after locker falls on him while attending after-school swimming club
A nine-year-old boy who was attending an after-school club has died after a locker fell on him at the school premises.
At around 6.15 pm on Thursday, May 23, paramedics rushed to Great Baddow High School in Chelmsford, Essex, and found the child trapped underneath the locker. The victim, who was not a student at the school, was taken to hospital but later pronounced dead, according to a Mirror report.
According to Essex Live, the school was closed for the following day except for those sitting for scheduled examinations.
Reports suggest the boy was attending a swimming club with his family when he was fatally injured. "We were called by the ambulance service at about 6.15 pm on Thursday, May 23, to reports that a child had been injured at Great Baddow High School in Duffield Road, Chelmsford," a spokesperson for Essex Police said. "The nine-year-old boy was believed to have fallen from a locker and become trapped underneath it. He was taken to hospital, where he sadly died. We are liaising with the Health and Safety Executive. The child was not a pupil at the school and had been there with family members at an after-school club."
Witnesses reported seeing numerous ambulances rush to the scene apart from an air ambulance that was spotted landing nearby. "We were called to reports that a child had been seriously injured at the Baddow School swimming pool in Chelmsford around 6.15 on Thursday evening," an ambulance trust spokesman said. "We treated the child at the scene and transported him to Broomfield Hospital. Essex and Herts Air Ambulance attended but the boy was taken to hospital by road."
Great Baddow High School is a 1,400-strong specialist sport and science college for children aged between 11 and 18. It is renowned for sports both locally and at the national level, boasting an indoor swimming pool which is often hired out for private lessons and events.
The school issued a statement on their website after the tragic incident: "Due to exceptional circumstances, the school will be closed on Friday, May 24, except for Year 11 and Year 13 students sitting exams (GCSEs: Business Studies, Italian, DT; A levels: Business and Physics). The buses will run as normal at the beginning and the end of the day. Students taking morning exams will be able to leave the site after their exam. Further information will be sent."
A Health and Safety Executive (HSE) spokesperson said the government agency is now investigating the incident alongside Essex Police. HSE is responsible for the regulation and enforcement of workplace health, safety, and welfare. "HSE is aware of the incident and is jointly investigating with Essex Police who currently have primacy," a statement read.
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