RCMP and the Rocky View School District held a joint news conference on Friday to address a tragic accident at Bearspaw School just west of Calgary.
On Wednesday, at the start of the school’s lunch recess a grade three boy was found unresponsive in the washroom with his lanyard caught on a cubicle door.
School staff called 911 and performed CPR on the boy until EMS arrived.
The boy was rushed to Alberta Children’s Hospital and remains in the Intensive care unit in stable but critical condition.
“The entire Rocky View School’s organization and Bearspaw community are in shock that this tragedy has occurred. We continue to gather information about the accident. What exactly transpired in the washroom to result in this injury remains unknown,” said Greg Bass, Superintendent of Schools.
RCMP say foul play was not involved in the child’s injuries.
“The preliminary investigation has concluded and the Cochrane RCMP are able to confirm that there was no foul play involved and there was no criminal activity involved. This appears at this time to be a tragic, tragic accident,” said RCMP Cpl. Darrin Turnbull.
The school district will continue to investigate the incident and says they will look at the use of lanyards.
“Obviously we would never want anything like this to occur in the first place, nor occur again and so we’re doing that analysis as we speak and we’ll see what comes of it,” said Bass.
Bass says lanyard use is site specific and they can be used for a variety of things at the school.
“Obviously their use is not for situations where students would be on a playgrounds or activities in Phys Ed and those types of things,” said Bass. “Lanyards can be used for hallway passes, lanyards can be used for bathroom passes, lanyards can be used for identification purposes. It certainly is discrepant.”
Bass says the Crisis Response Team is at the school for students, staff and parents.
Bearspaw School is a kindergarten to Grade eight school with 520 students.
