Aided by City Council Member Julie Menin’s staff, we learned more about the Sportspark drowning that occurred last May. RIOC stonewalled every detail, even shirking responsibility for answering FOIL requests.
by David Stone
The Roosevelt Island Daily News
The Official Word on the Sportspark Drowning
“Cause of death: Drowning due to cardiac arrhythmia possibly due to variants of undetermined significance in TRPM4 and ANK2 genes
“Manner of death: Accident”
The Daily has since learned that a video exists showing the victim sinking to the bottom of the pool. Efforts to save him were not made by RIOC lifeguards – who apparently weren’t on duty – but by other swimmers.
Informants further claim and court records confirm that RIOC CEO Shelton J. Haynes immediately ordered that all communications be verbal with nothing in writing. No report by Public Safety appeared nor did RIOC send condolences to the victim’s family.
An insider further reports that Haynes also fired all the staff lifeguards turning responsibilities over to outsourcing.
What is a cardiac arrhythmia?
A cardiac arrhythmia is a condition in which the heart beats too fast, too slow, or irregularly. It can be caused by a variety of factors, including heart disease, electrolyte imbalance, and stress.
While some arrhythmias are benign and require no treatment, others can be life-threatening. cardiac arrhythmias can cause the heart to pump less effectively, leading to symptoms such as dizziness, shortness of breath, and chest pain.
In severe cases, cardiac arrhythmias can cause cardiac arrest. Treatment for cardiac arrhythmias vary depending on the underlying cause and the severity of the condition.
What else…?
Anna Correa, Menin’s Communications Director, also shared that the victim officially passed away in Mount Sinai Hospital in Queens. The cause of death was an accidental drowning.
An examination by the medical examiner’s office found that the victim had a cardiac arrhythmia, a heart rhythm issue that prompted the death. The Medical Examiner’s Office discovered it through genetic testing, postmortem. Whether the victim was aware of his condition is not known.
The coroner’s report is only available to family or their designees, except in the cases of homicide, which this was not. They are also not allowed to give out the victim’s name.
Because of RIOC’s extreme secrecy, we also do not know if the victim was a resident or, as rumored, a visitor from Astoria.
Update: We have learned the victim’s name along with additional details now because his family is suing RIOC for negligence.
In addition, from another lawsuit filed against RIOC, we learned that Public Safety Chief Kevin Brown has a video of the drowning which he shares with co-workers – but not with the media under FOIL.
RIOC and the Sportspark Drowning
As we reported, Sportspark fell at that time under the jurisdiction of Altheria Jackson, a nepotism hire requested by RIOC President/CEO Shelton J. Haynes, a close friend of over ten years.
While RIOC refuses to release relevant invitation, a letter of protest against Haynes, produced by anonymous employees, offered details. The whistleblowers say that video shows that lifeguards under Jackson’s control were not at their stations when the drowning occurred.
Video, they also say, shows a chaotic scene after the victim was brought up from the bottom of the pool. Other swimmers, not RIOC’s lifeguards, were the first to try resuscitating him.
Why RIOC refuses answering questions is unknown.
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Ten Years, or Another Temporary Fix?
Roosevelt Island was built through public investment, then expected to support itself through development. The ten-year lease extension gives RIOC a rare chance to replace short-term deals with a financial system designed to outlast the people approving them.
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