Freshman Ding Mengjia drowned to death over the weekend during a swimming test at China Pharmaceutical University in Nanjing, capital of east China’s Jiangsu Province.
Her teachers are now under fire for not doing enough to save the young student.
Photo from The Cover, showing screenshots of Weibo posts by user Neimenggudatang calling for justice for the drowned student
The Cover, a news outlet in the city of Chengdu, Sichuan Province, put up a screenshot of a Weibo post by user Neimenggudatang, who questioned school authorities for letting the girl drown in a pool just 1.4 meters deep.
The school’s publicity department told The Cover accusations of negligence were false. “She had already finished her test and was told to leave the water. Teachers were preoccupied with other students and later saw a drowned Ding at around 11:10 a.m. They took her poolside and gave her CPR. They also informed the emergency center and the school hospital immediately,” the school said.
Photo from The Cover, showing screenshots of Weibo posts by user Neimenggudatang calling for justice for the drowned student.
“Around 11:20 a.m., the student was sent to a nearby hospital. We reported to the police and her parents first. We are fully responsible for her. We didn’t give up the rescue for 24 hours till the last minute. Doctors said she died around 11 a.m. on June 17,” Chen continued.
China Pharmaceutical is one of the few schools in Nanjing that offer swimming courses. At the time of the incident, the school said there were seven classes with some 30 students each taking swimming tests. A total of seven teachers and two lifeguards were on site.
A police investigation is ongoing and the university said it would hold those responsible accountable.
Primary school students learn CPR, a common step in first aid for drowning victims, in east China’s Zhejiang Province on September 20, 2016./CFP Photo
A University of Washington study showed drowning has become the second-leading killer of young people in China, accounting for one-third of all deaths.
