A coroner is calling for parents to be more alert, after the death of an unsupervised toddler in a public pool in Napier
A coroner is calling for parents to be more alert, after the death of an unsupervised toddler in a public pool in Napier
9 August 2024
Two-year-old Ranger Hetaraka was found floating face down at Napier Aquatic Centre in late 2020 and later died in hospital.
He was there with whanau to attend a birthday party, and at some point was left unsupervised in the indoor area.
He moved from the toddler's pool to the learner's pool, despite a lifeguard twice stopping him from doing so, and later had keeping his head above water in a busy area.
The centre was cleared of wrongdoing by WorkSafe, and a coroner is now reminding parents and family that lifeguards are not babysitters
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