Three Indian Americans Who Died in Backyard Pool in N.J. Didn’t Know to Swim
Bharat Patel, along with his daughter-in-law, Nisha Patel, was trying to save his 8-year-old in a swimming pool at their East Brunswick, New Jersey home, June 22, when the three of them drowned, a report from Middlesex County Regional Medical Examiner’s Office has revealed.
CPR was done and they were all pronounced dead in the backyard.
None of them knew how to swim. News reports say that although most of the above ground pool at the Patel home was 3.5 foot-deep, some parts were as deep as 7 feet.
It was speculated earlier that the three could have died of possible electrocution, as the pool was said to be serviced right before the deaths occurred.
However, the report from Middlesex County Regional Medical Examiner’s Office has ruled that out.
A GoFundMe campaign has been started for Akash Patel, who lost his father, wife and child to the tragic incident. The page aims to collect fund to lessen some of Patel’s financial burden.
“We are hoping to gather enough funds to help offset the cost of the funeral(s) Akash will have to endure in the coming week,” campaign organizer, Sarah Grabowski, says.
“Life has been difficult during the Coronavirus epidemic for all people around the world,” she says, adding that Akash and his family “had the good fortune of looking forward to moving into their new home in late spring.”
The Patels had moved into the home just a month ago. The UK Daily Mail estimates that the house was purchased for $451,000.