CANTON, Texas — A 19-year-old died at a water park in Canton Sunday.
The Canton Fire Department responded to Splash Kingdom Waterpark around 5 p.m. Sunday for a reported drowning.
When they arrived on scene, they found a 19-year-old man unresponsive. Emergency officials say he had been recovered from a 10-foot deep pool.
CPR was performed and an automatic external defibrillator (AED) was used on the young man, according to the Canton Police Department.
The teenager was flown by helicopter to Mother Frances Hospital in Tyler, where he died.
The official cause of death has not been released yet.
UT Tyler identified the victim as one of their international students named Emmanuel Ogunfuwa. The school released the following statement Monday:
Emmanuel Ogunfuwa was a UT Tyler student who attended fall 2018, spring 2019 and summer 2019.
We are saddened by the news of Emmanuel’s passing and offer our deepest condolences to his family and friends. UT Tyler has been in contact with his family to offer and coordinate support, and grief counseling is available for the university community.
Dana Perez visited the Canton waterpark with her 10-year-old daughter for the first time ever Sunday.
“I couldn’t sleep last night,” Perez said. “I laid in bed just tossing and turning. My kiddo came to lay in bed with me, and I just held her all night.”
There are several different slides at Splash Kingdom Waterpark in Canton. One of them is shaped like a volcano and drops riders into a 10-foot pool, according to the website.
Perez says Sunday’s tragedy happened in the area near the volcano mountain slide.
“The ambulance, the EMTs came. And they started doing CPR, which continued for quite a while. And then the CareFlite, you could hear the helicopter come in, which really hit home,” said Perez.
“Some kids were crying. We all knew it was very serious,” Perez said. “They didn’t stop CPR. They just kept going and going, trying to save this young man.”
Splash Kingdom Waterpark posted the following on their Facebook page Monday:
All of Splash Kingdom holds a heavy heart today as lifeguards and management in Canton responded to a medical need for an adult male inside the park. CPR was performed and additional equipment was utilized to provide care while awaiting EMS. We are grateful for their assistance, as well as the participation of several guests with extensive medical training, who worked alongside our team during this tragic time.
We are praying for the family of this man, as well as the lifeguard team that responded to him.
The health and safety of all our guests is our highest priority and we are honored by the opportunity to serve you and your family.
Johnny Blevins – President
Splash Kingdom Family Waterparks
According to their website, Splash Kingdom Waterparks has five locations, including one in Canton, Texas and one in Shreveport, Louisiana.
The Caddo Parish Coroner’s Office in Shreveport confirms 13-year-old Kendall Williams of Arkansas died after being discovered face-down in a swimming pool at Splash Kingdom Waterpark on July 25.
As for Perez, she wonders if her first trip to Splash Kingdom Waterpark was actually her last.
“We are going to Shreveport in a couple of weeks,” Perez said. “And at first, (my daughter) was like, ‘I want to go (to the Splash Kingdom Waterpark in Shreveport)!’ And I don’t think we will.”
An autopsy for the 19-year-old has not been released yet.