Fez – A 44-year-old Moroccan man drowned on October 28 in the pond in front of a CPAS building in Halle, Belgium, while attempting to rescue two boys.
According to local newspaper Vrt Nws, the man most likely drowned as a result of a cold shock, which experts say is extremely common.
The public prosecutor’s office in Halle-Vilvoorde was able to establish an initial reconstruction of the facts based on a preliminary investigation. “Two boys, aged six and eleven, jumped into the pond behind a ball,” said spokeswoman Carol Vercarre, clarifying that the youngest probably jumped in first, and his brother jumped after him.
Another man rescued both the Moroccan man and the 11 year-old youngster from the sea. The boy is hypothermic but alive, while the man has died. The 6-year-old boy was then taken from the water and resuscitated as well.
After resuscitation, the boy was brought to the hospital in critical condition. The prosecutor’s office then sent a lawyer and a lab to the scene for further investigations. “However, there is no evidence of malice,” adds attorney Ine Van Wymersch.
The death of Mohamed, the Moroccan man who drowned while attempting to save the two children, stunned inhabitants of the CPAS rest home in Halle (Flemish Brabant).
Residents were struck by the fact that an adult could drown in a pond that looks innocent.
Following the incident, rescuers and investigators said “cold shock” was most likely the main reason behind the man’s drowning.
Local news outlet Vrt Nws quoted rescuer Joni Custer as saying, “Indeed, we often see that people want to rescue someone from cold water. It’s not a good idea” The rescuer argued that rescuing a drowning person should take place from dry land, by “throwing a rope” to the person for example.
