Northeast
Pennsylvania mom warns parents swimming pool game caused children’s ‘freak’ drownings
A Philadelphia mother’s loss of two of her children, who drowned in a pool over Memorial Day weekend, highlights the danger of breath-holding games in the water – even when played by children who are typically strong swimmers.
Early last month, Brittney McWhite made the decision to pull 14-year-old Wadale and 11-year-old London Marie off life support.
A week earlier, all was well in McWhite’s household, and she and her six children visited their aunt’s house for a Memorial Day cookout in New Jersey, Fox 29 reported.
“When we got there, I was like, ‘OK, I’ll help set up the food.’ Kids were playing in the pool. They were playing a game where you go down, Marco Polo, and you hold your breath,” McWhite told Fox News Digital.
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London Marie, 11, and Wadale, 14, died on June 2 after their mother made the decision to pull them off life support. Although they could both swim, both drowned while playing a breath-holding version of Marco Polo over Memorial Day weekend. (Fox 29 Philadelphia)
After three or four minutes, McWhite realized that she couldn’t see her children, who were both able to swim.
Family members leaped into the pool to pull out the two children, and “when they got out everyone was all hands on deck.”
“I am CPR certified. But in that moment, when it’s your own child, you go into shock, everything is shock for you – you can’t perform the thing you know how to do,” McWhite said.
Monroe Township Police received a call at 6:46 p.m. for a report of the two kids drowning, Fox 29 Philadelphia reported.
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Brittney McWhite, pictured with daughter London Marie and her 9-year-old daughter, is speaking out about pool safety after the tragic incident. (Brittney McWhite)
London Marie and Wadale were on life support for a week at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. Their mother said neither child showed signs of brain activity from the moment they were admitted and that they had regular seizures.
There was a small window of hope when both children began to take small breaths on their own, but ultimately, “the only thing keeping them alive was the machines,” she said.
“Keep your kids close. Tell your kids you love them while they’re here. Once something happens, all you have is memories,” Brittney McWhite told Fox News Digital. (Fox 29 Philadelphia)
“Keep your kids close. Tell your kids you love them while they’re here. Once something happens, all you have is memories,” McWhite told Fox News Digital. “It’s horrible, you never get those back. It’s hard, but you have other kids, and you still have a family. You don’t have time to grieve.”
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Brittney McWhite told Fox News Digital that her surviving children no longer play games in the water. (Brittney McWhite)
From now on, McWhite said she and her children are especially vigilant in the water.
“I’ll always be present, I’ll always be there. Life jackets, floaties, whatever they need,” McWhite said.
“My recommendation for parents is to prevent [their] kids from holding their breath while going underwater,” she said. “If they are going to go underwater, definitely make sure that they have eyes on them at all times; just because they know how to swim [doesn’t mean] freak accidents [can’t] happen.”
A report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that “dangerous underwater breath-holding behaviors” can lead to involuntary drowning in otherwise healthy people. Swimmers can suffer from “hypoxic blackout” or “breath-hold blackout,” which can lead to death.
According to Shallow Water Blackout Prevention, a nonprofit group dedicated to raising awareness about such deaths, the phenomenon happens when a swimmer faints due to a lack of oxygen to the brain. This can be triggered by holding your breath repeatedly or too long. Without immediate rescue, the swimmer quickly drowns.
London Marie, pictured, and her brother, Wadale, were on life support for a week before they died on June 2. (Brittney McWhite)
The organization was founded by the mother of a young man who died in his family’s swimming pool while doing breath-holding training, and it has support from Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps.
What’s more, lifeguards and other guardians can mistake drowning children at the bottom of the pool for children playing games involving breath holding.
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“This is the new ‘no diving,’” lifeguard Jeff Little told WRAL about signs prohibiting breath holding at the YMCA where he works, reminiscent of signs around pool decks that warn against diving in shallow parts of pools to prevent spinal injuries.
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Charlotte Hornets (31-31, ninth in the Eastern Conference) vs. Boston Celtics (41-20, second in the Eastern Conference)
Boston; Wednesday, 7:30 p.m. EST
BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Celtics -6.5; over/under is 214.5
BOTTOM LINE: Charlotte is looking to keep its five-game win streak alive when the Hornets take on Boston.
The Celtics are 27-13 against Eastern Conference opponents. Boston is sixth in the NBA with 46.2 rebounds led by Nikola Vucevic averaging 8.8.
The Hornets are 19-21 in conference matchups. Charlotte is 7-8 when it turns the ball over less than its opponents and averages 15.0 turnovers per game.
The Celtics average 15.5 made 3-pointers per game this season, 2.7 more made shots on average than the 12.8 per game the Hornets allow. The Hornets average 16.0 made 3-pointers per game this season, 2.1 more made shots on average than the 13.9 per game the Celtics allow.
TOP PERFORMERS: Jaylen Brown is averaging 29 points, 7.1 rebounds and five assists for the Celtics. Payton Pritchard is averaging 17 points and 5.8 assists over the past 10 games.
Kon Knueppel is averaging 19.2 points, 5.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists for the Hornets. Brandon Miller is averaging 22.7 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.6 assists over the past 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Celtics: 8-2, averaging 109.4 points, 50.7 rebounds, 27.1 assists, 6.1 steals and 6.4 blocks per game while shooting 45.7% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 98.5 points per game.
Hornets: 7-3, averaging 117.3 points, 47.8 rebounds, 27.4 assists, 8.5 steals and 4.2 blocks per game while shooting 45.6% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 106.2 points.
INJURIES: Celtics: Jayson Tatum: out (achilles), Neemias Queta: day to day (rest).
Hornets: Coby White: day to day (injury management).
___
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
The bodies of two young girls were found inside suitcases in Cleveland, Ohio, police said on Tuesday.
In a press conference, Cleveland Police Chief Dorothy Todd said on Tuesday that the bodies of the two girls were found in suitcases buried in shallow graves on Monday evening. One of the girls was believed to be between the ages of 8 and 13 years old, while the other was believed to be 10 to 14 years old. Neither girl was identified as of Tuesday night.
“This is a priority,” Todd said during Tuesday’s press conference. “This is a traumatic event for our officers, for the community, and this is just such a tragic incident, but we are trying to develop any leads we can.”
Police said there are no active missing persons reports in Cleveland that match the two victims.
Officials said someone walking their dog near East 162nd Street and Midland Avenue found what appeared to be a body inside a suitcase around 6 p.m. on Monday. When officers responded to the scene near Ginn Academy, they found one of the bodies stuffed in a suitcase in a shallow grave. The second shallow grave with the body stuffed in a suitcase was found after officers searched the area.
“This is a field close to the school over there,” Todd said. “This is just a residential neighborhood that I’m sure a lot of people do frequent.”
The Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner’s Office has custody of the bodies and will identify the girls. Todd said there is no clear indication of possible causes of death for the girls or how long the girls were there.
“It was some time, so it’s not something that was recent,” Todd said.
There is no suspect, Todd added. Anyone with information can contact the Cleveland police at 216-623-5464.
“Usually in residential areas, you know what’s happening in your neighborhood, something just seems a little bit off,” Todd said. “That’s why we’re asking that anyone who has anything that they believe to be information directly related to or suspicious, that they give us a call.”
A multi-vehicle crash temporarily close Interstate 84 on Tuesday night.
The crash happened around 8:30 p.m. and involved four cars, according to the Hartford Fire Department.
Fire crews arrived at the scene and helped one of the drivers who was trapped. The driver was then taken to a local hospital for evaluation and treatment.
Four other people reported minor injuries but declined ambulance treatment at the scene, officials said.
I-84 East was temporarily shut down as crews responded but has since reopened.
The Connecticut State Police is investigating the crash.
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