BELLINGHAM, Wash. — First responders were dispatched about 11:50am today, Friday, March 22nd, to the Wade King Student Recreation Center on the Western Washington University (WWU) campus due to a report of a possible drowning.
WWU issued an advisory about 1:30pm that said a swimmer had been found unresponsive in the pool. Bellingham Fire Department paramedics were unable to revive the swimmer.
UPDATE (3/23/24): WWU Office of University Communications Assistant Director John Thompson told Whatcom News via email, the swimmer was not found underwater, as previously reported by the WWU advisory. “… she began to have her distress at the side of the pool, and was pulled out by the lifeguards, she became unresponsive then, as the paramedics were on their way.”
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Click for more informationThe pool will be closed for the remainder of the day according to the advisory. The facility’s page on the WWU website states, “The pool and spa are closed through Sunday.”
Today is the last day of winter quarter final exams. Classes are scheduled to resume for spring quarter on April 2nd.
This is the second reported drowning death at the WWU student recreation center since it was built in 2003. The first occurred in January 2019 when a 23-year-old man was discovered unresponsive in a hot tub. The Whatcom County Medical Examiner determined the man passed away in a natural manner while in the hot tub, “most likely from a cardiac rhythm abnormality following a strenuous workout,” reported the Western Front.