A Plaisance, East Coast Demerara (ECD), school boy was tragically killed on Wednesday after a metal goal post fell on him at the community centre, where they were practicing for the upcoming school athletics.
Dead is six-year-old Glensean Skeete, a pupil of St Paul’s Primary School and of Lot 10 Graham Street Plaisance. The incident occurred just be midday at the Industry/Plaisance Community Centre Ground.
Guyana Times was told that around 10:00h on Wednesday, a group of pupils from
Dead Glensean Skeete
the primary school had gone to the ground to practice for the upcoming inter-house sport when the tragedy occurred. They were accompanied by two teachers.
It was reported that during the practice session, Skeete and another male student were reportedly swinging on the metal (football) goal post, when it uprooted and fell, hitting the child in the child.
He reportedly sustained severe head injuries. As such, he was picked up and rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) by teachers in a critical condition. The six-year-old subsequently succumbed despite efforts by doctors to resuscitate him.
The boy’s mother, Stacy, who is nine months pregnant, was too distraught to talk
The boy’s mother being consoled by his father after learning of tragic death
to the media. She broke down in tears at the hospital and had to be whisked home after she became hysterical.
At the house, close relatives and friends gathered to console the woman, who could be heard repeating “I want Glensean…I don’t want to live anymore.” The grieving woman lamented that she did not want the boy to go to the practice session since he was not going to the actual school sport but the lad insisted on going.
Meanwhile during a brief interview, the lad’s grieving father, Glenroy, related to reporters that he was at work when he received a call to go to the hospital.
“When I left, I go and meet her (his wife) at the hospital and she was in tears and so on. Because I go after, I didn’t get to see him,” the man recalled, saying that he too was told that his son was pinned under the collapsed goal post.
The distraught father went onto described Glensean as a fun and loving child. “He was my one and only son, a real good child…Up to this morning (Wednesday), he went to pick up dunks and he bring and give me…he always joyful, always make me happy and he was always by my side,” the grieving man said.
The body of six-year-old Glensean is currently at the GPHC mortuary awaiting a post mortem examination, which is expected to be done on Friday.
He leaves to mourn his parents and seven siblings with one on the way.
Meanwhile, a visit to the community centre showed that the football goal post was not properly secured into the ground, hence it uprooted after the children were swing on it.
Nevertheless, the Education Ministry, whose officials including Chief Executive Officer Marcel Hutson had visited the family at the hospital, said it will continue to engage Glensean’s parents.
It added that psychosocial and other support will be provided to the family, teachers and students of St Paul’s Primary during this difficult time.
