13-year-old foreign exchange student dies days after pool accident, Nebraska cops say
A 13-year-old foreign exchange student from Japan died days after a tragic pool accident, Nebraska police said.
The teen from Ozu, Japan, was visiting Hastings as part of the Hastings International Exchange Organization when she went underwater at a pool on July 31 and did not resurface, police said.
Video footage showed the teen going from the shallow end of the pool into the deep end before going underwater, according to Hastings police.
Lifeguards pulled the unconscious teen from the pool and immediately started CPR, according to a news release. She was rushed to the hospital in critical condition and later transferred to a hospital in Omaha, police and Central Nebraska Today reported.
She died on Aug. 4, KSNB reported.
The teen’s parents were in Japan at the time of the accident, according to the news release, but they were notified.
“We also hope that citizens of Ozu, including the students who traveled to Hastings, and those who witnessed the events can find the strength to heal from this tragedy,” the Hastings International Exchange Organization said in a statement to KSNB.
The aquatic center where the teen nearly drowned announced Aug. 2 that it would close for the remainder of the season, the city said in a news release. It was initially scheduled to close on Aug. 9.
“Our continued thoughts and prayers go out to the 13-year-old female, her family, friends and everyone impacted by this event in our community,” the city said in the release.
Police did not identify the teen, and the Hastings International Exchange Organization told the Hastings Tribune that her name will not be released “in keeping with Japanese culture.”
Ozu is located on Japan’s Shikoku island, one of the country’s southernmost islands. It is approximately a 35-mile drive southwest of Matsuyama.
Hastings, Nebraska, is about a 100-mile drive southwest of Lincoln.
This story was originally published August 5, 2024 at 6:15 PM with the headline "13-year-old foreign exchange student dies days after pool accident, Nebraska cops say."
