Ghanaian Dies In Swimming Pool in Connecticut

East Hartford, Connecticut (USA) -- The stifling summer heat played a role Thursday in the deaths of a Ghanaian man in swimming pools in Connecticut. The heat, which rose to 94 degrees, drove people to the water Thursday.

Yaw Barinah was among them, swimming in a pool at Gateway Estates on Ellington Road in East Hartford. Police were still investigating what happened, but the department spokesman, Officer Hugo Benettieri, said the teenager drowned just after 5 p.m.

A boy at Gateway Estates said swimmers had crowded the pool to escape the heat. Signs reading, "Warning, no lifeguard on duty," were posted around the pool.

Minutes after the accident, paramedics arrived and continued CPR that had been started by someone at the scene, Benettieri said. They continued performing CPR on the way to Hartford Hospital, but Yaw was pronounced dead when he arrived.

A cousin at the Wakefield Circle home address given to authorities said hours later that he hadn't yet heard about the drowning. Cojo Wifea said Yaw and his family had only recently arrived from Ghana. They have been staying at Gateway Estates, he said.


Benettieri said investigators were interviewing witnesses to discover what led to the teen's death.

Hours later, as dusk approached and the air remained muggy, the pool where Yaw died was still vacant. A pair of sandals lay in the shade under the surrounding trees, and a few toys and towels remained scattered.