A teenager has died following a drowning incident at OKANA Resort and Waterpark on Friday in Oklahoma City.
According to Koco News 5, the young man, later identified as Chidera Maurice Peter, was pulled from the water by a lifeguard around three in the afternoon on Friday and transported to a local hospital. He was pronounced dead over the weekend.
First responders, including paramedics, police and fire fighters responded to the scene, and they established a crime scene at the waterpark, but the facility did not close following the incident. Following a brief investigation, it was ruled that the drowning was not a criminal matter.
“We are heartbroken to learn of this loss. Our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with their family, loved ones, and all those affected,” Gerson Velasquez, managing director at OKANA, told News 9. “Out of respect for the family and those involved, we will not be providing additional details at this time.”
Peter’s father told Koco News 5 that the family had visited OKANA Resort and Waterpark to celebrate Peter’s graduation and 18th birthday. His father claimed the water Peter was swimming in water deeper than he was accustomed to.
"What they are used to is a slide that rolls into shallow water," Peter’s father said. "All along, we've been going to pools that are four feet, five feet deep. We've never been to that depth before because he can't swim."
