Freak accident in Cayo schoolyard kills student
Tonight the family of a six year old girl is mourning her death after a freak accident involving a game of see-saw and a tree branch in a Cayo schoolyard went horribly wrong. News Five’s Jacqueline Woods has the sad story from the Santa Elena Roman Catholic Primary School.
Jacqueline Woods, Reporting
Six year old Kiellany Amira Pinelo Wit was along with four other children, including her five year old sister playing see-saw on this tree branch in the rear of the school yard when part of the limb hit the little girl on her head. The impact was so severe that it cracked the child?s skull and she died while being rushed out of the compound. The tragedy occurred around four-thirty on Friday evening after most of the teachers and students had gone home for the day. Wit and her younger sister were waiting for their grandmother, who works at the school?s cafeteria situated short distance away from the scene.
This morning Principal Manuel Medina maintains that the child was not crushed or trapped under a log, but instead was found lying next to the branch. Medina says he was at the school when he first heard the screams.
Manuel Medina, Principal, R.C. Primary School
?Well I saw her face covered with blood and my first reaction was to try and get some help. So I went back into the office and I immediately called the police and then I was trying to contact the hospital for ambulance or whatever but I couldn?t get through. Whilst I was on the phone I saw two teachers getting the child in the vehicle and rushing to the hospital.?
Three days after the accident the staff of the Santa Elena Roman Catholic Primary School held prayers and a special service at the accident site. Wit was the oldest of three siblings and is described as a friendly child who took great pride in always being nicely dressed.
Today the infant two student was missed by all her little classmates.
Classmates Reading from Cards
?Kiellany my heart is sad because you died.?
?My friend is Kiellany. I love you Kiellany.?
As a way of dealing with Kiellany?s death, the boys and girls spent most of the morning putting their feelings on paper. The exercise is just part of the counselling the children have been receiving at the school. It was a particularly difficult time for homeroom teacher Judy Waight. Waight did her best to help the children cope with the grief and help them understand what happened, but it was an emotional time for everyone…
Judy Waight, Homeroom Teacher
?Everybody is expressing what they remembered. I went to play with her at such a time, I used to go with her to the cafeteria, I used to read a book with her, we used to play puzzles. So now we came back and I brought some papers for them and we are making cards where they can express their feelings for her; what will you do for Keillany. And some of them wrote some very touching things. Sophia wrote: you?re my best friend, I want you with me …?
(Waight starts crying; is being consoled by her students)
Manuel Medina
?This morning we had a prayer service like every Monday morning; that?s what the staff do. We do a prayer service and we?re trying to console each other. Then through the Ministry of Education and we got some counsellors from Sacred Heart coming here and they have been to the different teachers and at eleven-thirty we are going to have a prayer service where it happened and more counselling.?
But as the teachers and students try to deal with the death of one of their youngest, the accident has sparked criticisms against the school. Parents and community residents believe the institution is ultimately responsible because the accident happened on the compound and the limb should have been removed from the area.
Today principal Medina says that they do take the necessary steps to ensure the safety of his students.
Manuel Medina
?She was a six year old in Infant two and they actually come out at two-forty and we always tell parents to pick up their kids, the infants especially. By three o?clock all of them are supposed to be at home, but the fact is that this particular child had a grandmother that takes care of the cafeteria and that?s the reason why these two kids were still with the grandmother.?
Today little Kiellany Amira Pinelo Wit was laid to rest in the Santa Elena cemetery. Jacqueline Woods for News Five.
Tonight we understand that as a result of the tragedy the school has decided to construct a fence around the compound to strengthen security and make the environment a safer place for students.
