Police in Mukono District is investigating circumstances under which Nathan Kamanzi, a student at Uganda Christian University-UCU died in a swimming pool.
The third-year student of Human Resource Management drowned last evening in a swimming pool at Hasteh Royale Hotel, about 3 kilometres from the university campus. The hotel is located at Njerere village in Mukono Municipality. Although still under construction, the hotel site has an operational swimming pool and pool table centre.
Walter Washika, the UCU Communications and Marketing Manager says that the university received information that the deceased, together with three other students, were drunk before jumping into the swimming pool, at the time the tragedy occurred. He was later rushed to the UCU clinic for treatment.
But Dr Robert Kajubi, the staff at the UCU clinic says that the student was pronounced Dead on Arrival. He faulted the rescue teams for transporting the student on a motorcycle from the swimming pool, where the accident occurred, to the clinic.
According to St John Ambulance, victims of drowning need to immediately receive cardiopulmonary resuscitation – CPR before they are moved. The CPR covers chest compressions and mouth-to-mouth resuscitation until they regain responsiveness if there is no other professional help to resuscitate them.
According to Washika, the pool attendant has already been arrested to help in investigations.
This is not the first UCU student to die in a swimming pool at a hangout.
In April 2016, Victor Mbuga, 22 drowned in a swimming pool at one of the hangouts in Mbarara town.
Mbuga was found floating dead in tycoon Fred Kafooko’s Big Fun Entertainment Centre swimming pool in Boma.
