Four drown in large fountain at Fort Worth while attending a Baptist convention

[The1calledTKE]

FORT WORTH, Texas - Four people drowned in a large downtown fountain, one of them an 8-year-old girl and three others, including her father and brother, who died while trying to rescue her.

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About 2,000 people gathered for a prayer vigil Thursday morning, a day after the deaths of the four, who were visiting from Chicago to attend a Sunday school convention.

“Today our city extends our wings to enfold and comfort you,” Mayor Mike Moncrief told the crowd, many of whom held hands and wiped away tears.

The Rev. Gerald Dew, pastor of Antioch Missionary Baptist Church in Chicago, said the man and children had gone to the Fort Worth Water Gardens to play because the pool at their nearby hotel was closed.

The 9-foot-deep pool, called the Active Pool, collects water from several artificial waterfalls. At the bottom, a powerful pump pulls the water through a drain so it can be recirculated, fire officials said.

Dew identified those who drowned Wednesday as Myron Dukes, 35; his daughter Lauren, 8; his son Christopher, 13; and Juantrice Deadmon, 11, who was not related to the other three.

Witness accounts varied on what happened. Apparently, Lauren Dukes jumped or slipped into the water and Deadmon fell in when she tried to reach in and help her. Lauren’s father and brother then jumped in to try to save the girls.

Police officer Tony Moldanado, one of the first rescuers at the scene, told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram that when he jumped in, the suction “literally sucked the socks off my feet.”

One witness, Christian Tillis, 14, said he saw the girls slip into the water and tried to help.

“I dived in after them. I felt a little-bitty hand, but it slipped out,” he said. “And then I had to get out because I couldn’t breathe.”

for full article..

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5232929/

Sad story

[tinydancer]

It was a very sad day in our city.

[queequek]

Sad. Oddly enough, I was thinking about the liability issue of the design when I visited this fountain in Ft. Worth several years back.

My prayers go to the family.

[thetalady]

It is a horrible tragedy. Many people here are surprised that these are the first drownings since the water garden opened 30 years ago.

On the other hand, I feel it is important to acknowledge a critical factor in this tragedy that does not seem to be making many of the news reports.

The father was not at the Water Garden supervising his children.

He was at the conference hotel and was summoned after his children were lost in the water.

Why were these children left unattended?? I can understand that children in their excitment would overlook the signs warning people not to go into the water. The parent should have been there to make sure they obeyed the warnings. Although it is not certain if the little girl fell in or went in to play in the water, apparently she was wearing a bathing suit. That says she went in on purpose to me.

It is even worse thinking that the deaths of these dear children could have been so easily avoided

I don't think the Water Garden will ever flow again.

[_Lisa_]

Originally posted by thetalady
The father was not at the Water Garden supervising his children. He was at the conference hotel and was summoned after his children were lost in the water.

That isn't true. The father of two of the children was there, he died along w/ them as he tried to save them. From the article:

...those who drowned Wednesday as Myron Dukes, 35; his daughter Lauren, 8; his son Christopher, 13; and Juantrice Deadmon, 11, who was not related to the other three.

From the CNN Article:

Apparently, Lauren Dukes jumped or slipped into the water and the 11-year-old girl fell in when she tried to reach in and help her. Lauren's father and brother then jumped in to try to save the girls.

Regardless, the situation is certainly very sad, but I hope that it has no affect on whether the Water Gardens flows again in the future. Lets hope that its the first & only drownings the Water Gardens ever experiences.

[Kevin]

Very sad.

What's sadder is because really, this isn't anyone's fault, just kind of a freak accident, someone is going to get ridiculously rich off of this.

[thetalady]

Originally posted by crzychx
That isn't true. The father of two of the children was there, he died along w/ them as he tried to save them. From the article:

Yes, the father died trying to save his daughter. But he was not actually at the Water Garden when his daughter fell or waded in. He came running quickly after she and the other children had already gone under. It may not have made a difference if he had been there to tell her not to get so close or to grab her immediately after she went in, but it might have.

[AlphaSigOU]

News reports this morning stated that the pool was filled to a depth of nine feet instead of the originally intended three feet.

Interestingly, the Water Gardens were prominently featured in the 1970s science fiction film Logan's Run.

[tinydancer]

Chuck, ya beat me to it. I was just about to post about Logan's Run!

[AlphaSigOU]

Originally posted by tinydancer
Chuck, ya beat me to it. I was just about to post about Logan's Run!

Speakin' o' Logan's Run, you can buy a limited-edition CD of the complete soundtrack for both the film and the short-lived TV series (only 3000 copies made of each). It's also on DVD as well.

Logan's Run (film soundtrack)

Logan's Run (TV series soundtrack)

Logan's Run (DVD)

[Virtual Violet]

Originally posted by thetalady


On the other hand, I feel it is important to acknowledge a critical factor in this tragedy that does not seem to be making many of the news reports.

The father was not at the Water Garden supervising his children.

He was at the conference hotel and was summoned after his children were lost in the water.

I would like to know your source of that "information" because that version has never been reported in the media. Even the eyewitness account I saw indicated Mr. Dukes was present and immediately jumped in after the children.

I would caution you NOT to speculate on things that are not confirmed by any legitimate media or authority report or that are not know personally by you.

As it turns out, the surviving wife and mother is someone I attended college with and one of my Sorors. This is a very sad situation, that I'm sure no one wants compounded by unconfirmed, unfounded, speculation and innuendo.

[thetalady]

Originally posted by Virtual Violet
I would like to know your source of that "information" because that version has never been reported in the media. Even the eyewitness account I saw indicated Mr. Dukes was present and immediately jumped in after the children.

I would caution you NOT to speculate on things that are not confirmed by any legitimate media or authority report or that are not know personally by you.

As it turns out, the surviving wife and mother is someone I attended college with and one of my Sorors. This is a very sad situation, that I'm sure no one wants compounded by unconfirmed, unfounded, speculation and innuendo.

How amazing that if YOU have not personally heard something, then the information "has never been reported in the media."

Of course this is very sad, but there is nothing unfounded, NOR unreported, no innuendo here. These facts have been reported by the local, legitimate media, assuming the Dallas Morning News legit enough.

I know it is not politically correct to acknowledge that this father was not vigilant on this day, as reported by eyewitnesses, but maybe this tragedy can serve as a warning to other parents.

Because I am in Dallas, I expect that we have far more extensive coverage that you might get in Chicago:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
http://www.dallasnews.com/s/dws/news...26a8b0215.html

... Witnesses said the man who died was in the lobby of a hotel near the water gardens when his daughter fell in. He ran to help after a woman came into the lobby to tell them about the accident.

"He just ran straight out," Deonca Ussery of Dallas said.

The man and children are thought to have been part of the National Baptist Sunday School and Baptist Training Union Congress in Fort Worth this week. The 20,000-member convention for children and adults focuses on methods to improve Christian education.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcont...olo.13823.html

Trying to beat the heat

... Officers and firefighters found more than 100 people gathered by the Water Gardens' pools, most of them children trying to find relief on a hot evening. Many had gone to the Water Gardens because the pool at the Ramada Plaza hotel serving the convention had been closed for cleaning, said Emma Route of Sweet Rest Baptist Church in Franklinton, La. Witnesses said one of the girls who drowned was wearing a swimsuit.

The pool at nearby Radisson Plaza Hotel Fort Worth was also closed Wednesday for chlorine treatment after heavy use, a manager said. Pools at other downtown hotels were open Wednesday.

Ms. Route said there was little adult supervision at the time of the accident.

"This unfortunate tragedy will force greater and more diligent supervision of the children," she said. "I think they will keep closer watch on the kids and not have them running loose."
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[mmcat]

you ever try to keep a little one away from water when it's hot. and it has been all week.
another sad and tragic incident...
thoughts and prayers with those involved.

[Virtual Violet]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by thetalady
[B]How amazing that if YOU have not personally heard something, then the information "has never been reported in the media."

Of course this is very sad, but there is nothing unfounded, NOR unreported, no innuendo here. These facts have been reported by the local, legitimate media, assuming the Dallas Morning News legit enough.

I know it is not politically correct to acknowledge that this father was not vigilant on this day, as reported by eyewitnesses, but maybe this tragedy can serve as a warning to other parents.

Because I am in Dallas, I expect that we have far more extensive coverage that you might get in Chicago:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
http://www.dallasnews.com/s/dws/news...26a8b0215.html


What I am saying that your first post didn't indicate that was reported in the media at all, hence I stated it was speculation on your part.... NOW that you have been so kind to provide the actual article that your comments were based on, it is no longer considered speculation from my point of view.

Maybe it would have been nice if you posted that article ALONG with your original statement...then everything would have been clearer and I would have given creadence to your original comments!! And that way I wouldn't have taken your comments to be judgemental and unfounded in the first place.

[Kevin]

At this point, whether the father is to blame is pretty moot. He and his kids are dead.