"They tried to grab his hand and he went under": Horror as boy, 15, dies after swimming with friends in Pelsall
Residents have told of how people battled in vain to save a youngster who died after getting into difficulties at a pool in Walsall after swimming with friends.
It was the scene of another death 10 years ago when two teenagers battled in vain to save their friend, 17, from drowning.
Today residents spoke of their shock at the latest tragedy.
One woman, who gave her name only as Tanya, said emergency services had difficulty getting access to the scene because of locked gates.
She told BBC Radio WM: "I got here about 20 minutes after, but I arrived the same time as the emergency services.
"They tried to go through the new estate and they couldn't get access so they turned around.
"When I got there, his friends were crying and saying that he felt out of breath. They tried to grab his hand and he went under."
"He was with about three others.
"There were some people fishing and one gentlemen jumped in and tried to find him. The man was in there for 10-15 minutes, but he couldn't find him."
"The youths all swim in there. It's really deep, it's really dangerous. You shouldn't swim there at all.
"It was awful, that many people came over.
"I heard shouting but I thought they were just playing. It wasn't until I saw the emergency services that I thought that something had happened, so I came over to see if I could help."
Resident Graham Eardley told WM: "It's a sad waste of a life or what could be just adolescents joking about, but it's not really joking about when you realise that there's mine workings under the pool, people get trapped and unfortunately yet another person has died.
"It's difficult to put any markings or fence the pool off. You could put a warning sign up, but will people take any notice of it in the hot weather we've been having?
"Hopefully they will and hopefully they will realise yet again that it's not safe to swim in Ryders Hayes Pool.
"I saw a lot of blue lights, a helicopter going overhead. Lots of sirens going off and people were saying there was a major incident going on.
"I was quite shocked seeing all these ambulances and police cars, thinking what on earth is going on.
"I've seen the odd adult even here, but no matter how good a swimmer you are there are mine workings down there and it's dangerous. "Just keep out of the pool, now matter how inviting it looks.
In 2007, two teenagers tried in vain to save their panicking friend from drowning in the same pool.
Divers recovered the body of Kee-rian White, aged 17, in Pelsall on June 11, the day after he went missing while swimming.
A coroner recorded a verdict of death due to an accident.
Referring to both deaths, Pelsall Councillor Garry Perry told BBC WM today: "They are both tragic and our sympathies are with the community and those affected by it."
