FIRST SWIM IN NEW POOL KILLS BOY, 5; Grief after Callum drowns at party.
Byline: STEVE SMITHA SCOTS schoolboy died at a party to christen a neighbour's new swimming pool.
Five-year-old Callum Grant drowned after taking off his arm-bands.
He and 11 others, including his older brother, were at the party in Bournemouth, Dorset, and had been supervised by adults as they splashed about in the water.
But when they all moved to another part of the pounds 400,000 house, Callum slipped back to the pool.
He was missing for only a matter of minutes before the alarm was raised.
After a frantic search, two adults found him at the bottom of the pool.
One man dived into the water to rescue the boy, and another tried to revive him before paramedics arrived.
Last night Detective Inspector Neil Claughton, of Bournemouth CID said: "His parents are in total shock and are devastated."
Callum's parents left Scotland in January last year to start a new life on the south coast.
The owners of the luxury house had recently had the pool built in the back garden after two months of work.
It was also their son's seventh birthday and they were hosting the pool party to celebrate.
Callum's brother, Aiden, seven, is a friend of the birthday boy.
DI Claughton said: "It looks like it was a tragic accident. It is not a criminal matter as there is no duty of care as it was a private party."
Neighbour Ronald Perry, said: "I could hear kids splashing about. It sounded like they were having a wonderful time.
"It went quiet for a while and the next thing I knew an ambulance was there."
Callum was in his first year at Corpus Christi School in Bournemouth.
Headteacher John Regan paid tribute to Callum, calling him a "popular, sporty and happy little boy".
He said: "It is easy to say nice things about somebody when they are gone, but in Callum's case it is true.
"When the pupils moved to their new classes, everybody wanted to be in Callum's class."
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| Publication: | Daily Record (Glasgow, Scotland) |
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| Date: | Jul 22, 2003 |
| Words: | 335 |
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