The Circumstances
of Yoni’s Tragic Death by Cathedral Oaks Athletic Club - Part
2
The Video of Yoni’s Last Moments:
One of the most painful aspects of this tragedy is that it
all was captured on the security video of the Cathedral
Oaks Athletic Club (COAC). That video, however,
also points out the horrific nature of the conduct of those
at the pool and their lack of training. Nothing can prepare
you for the heartbreaking scene of this little boy, aggressively
dunked and then left so obviously struggling and drowning,
right in front of the lifeguards and counselors who were supposed
to guarantee his safety.
How Yoni was Killed
View Security Video (The following
video contains graphic and disturbing content. Viewer discretion
is advised.
Below are some of the more critical
events shown on the video, together with the time at which
they occur:
14:35:44 -- Tracking circles
appear for COAC Counselor Sam Shipley (in grey, with the letter
"C" above it) and Yoni Gottesman (in red) at the
lower right of the screen
14:35:49 -- COAC Counselor Shipley dunks
Yoni under water
14:36:04 -- COAC Counselor Shipley dunks
Yoni under water a second time
14:36:18 -- COAC Counselor Shipley dunks
Yoni under water a third time
14:36:29 -- COAC Counselor Shipley dunks
Yoni under water a fourth time
14:36:44 -- COAC Counselor Shipley dunks
Yoni under water a fifth time
14:36:56 -- COAC Counselor Shipley dunks
Yoni under water a sixth time
14:37:08 -- COAC Counselor Shipley dunks
Yoni under water a seventh time
14:37:20 -- COAC Counselor Shipley dunks
Yoni under water an eighth time
14:37:33 -- COAC Counselor Shipley dunks
Yoni under water a ninth time, with another child 14:37:49 -- COAC Counselor Shipley dunks Yoni
under water a tenth time, with another child (2nd dunk with
the other child)
14:38:05 -- COAC Counselor Shipley dunks Yoni
under water an eleventh time, with another child (3rd dunk with
the other child)
14:38:34 -- COAC Counselor Shipley dunks Yoni
under water a twelfth time, with another child (4th dunk with
the other child)
14:38:34 -- The COAC lifeguard on the far side
of the pool, David Merin, leaves his station
14:38:50 -- COAC Counselor Shipley is surrounded
by numerous children including Yoni; he swims away toward the
lane line and they swim after him
14:39:14 -- COAC Counselor Shipley turns around
as he gets closer to the deep end, and the children chase him
back towards the steps
14:39:33 -- Yoni desperately attempts to reach
COAC Counselor Shipley, but Shipley continues to dodge the children.
After Shipley deserts him, Yoni is unable to make it to the
wall; he stops moving approximately 5 feet from the wall and
begins to float face down
14:39:42 -- COAC Lifeguard Merin returns to
his station
14:39:44 -- The COAC lifeguard on the near
side of the pool, Michael Bowen, leaves his station for approximately
21 seconds to clean off a kickboard
14:40:40 -- COAC Lifeguard Bowen is playing
with/adjusting the umbrella at his station, and not watching
the swimmers
14:41:22 -- COAC Lifeguard Bowen turns away
from the pool for approximately 16 seconds to adjust the parka/jacket
on his chair
14:46:01 -- COAC Counselor Shipley plays with
children right next to Yoni
14:46:20 -- COAC Lifeguard Merin leaves his
station to get a soda; he does not return until after Yoni is pulled from the pool
14:46:33 -- COAC Counselor Shipley dunks a
child very near Yoni, but takes no notice of the motionless
figure floating in the pool
14:47:26 -- Children close to Yoni go
underwater to look at him, then yell to COAC lifeguard Bowen
and counselors
14:47:50 -- A female COAC counselor on the
pool deck points out Yoni to lifeguard Bowen, who still
had not taken any notice of him
14:47:58 -- COAC Lifeguard Bowen jumps in the
water
14:48:10 -- COAC Lifeguard Bowen pulls Yoni from the water and places him on the pool deck, after Yoni
had been floating right in front of him for more than 8 minutes.
Nationally known water safety experts
who have seen the video have called what happened to Yoni
Gottesman “outrageous,” “deplorable” and “horrific.”
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