A Washington, D.C. family is demanding answers after a lifeguard assigned to watch nearly 30 children allegedly abandoned his post to grab food, an incident that left a 6-year-old boy fighting for his life, according to police and the family’s attorney.
Adonis Jackson survived, but his relatives say he now faces a long and uncertain recovery. According to a police report, roughly 30 children were in the pool at the University of the District of Columbia, where a youth soccer camp had brought its campers for an end-of-day swim. Officers say the lifeguard on duty was not watching the pool at the time because he had stepped away to eat.
Police documented that a child was later found unresponsive at the bottom of the pool. Emergency dispatch communications described a six-year-old boy in near-drowning condition, with responders questioning how long he had been submerged and how long CPR had been administered.
Attorney Dominique Calhoun, representing the Jackson family, said Adonis was underwater for more than two minutes — long enough, he said, to risk lasting brain and organ damage from oxygen deprivation. Calhoun said Adonis’s mother was initially told only that her son had “swallowed some water,” and did not learn the severity of the situation until she arrived at the hospital and heard reports of cardiac arrest and active CPR.
The camp operator released a statement saying it was aware of the incident, that its thoughts were with the family, and that it was in contact with the independent company running the camp as authorities review what happened.
No arrests have been made so far. Calhoun said Adonis remains sedated and intubated in the hospital, though doctors have noted some minor movement. The family says it is now exploring legal options to hold those responsible accountable.