The pool water sparkled innocently that February afternoon as Blessing Moukoko’s classmates splashed through their swimming lesson. None noticed when the 14-year-old slipped beneath the surface. Not the teacher. Not the lifeguards. Not his peers. For 38 agonizing minutes, Blessing lay unseen in the deep end while the class continued around him.
When staff finally spotted the unconscious teen, the response was swift but hopeless. After six days clinging to life support, Blessing became another victim of systemic failures. The coroner’s investigation uncovered shocking gaps: no safety checks, inadequate supervision, and staff unprepared for emergencies.
Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante expressed the community’s outrage: “How does a child disappear in a supervised pool?” The answer lies in neglected protocols and distracted watchfulness – mistakes that cost a promising young life and left a family shattered.
