Fatal drowning at Springfield school update - WFXG FOX54 Augusta - Your News One Hour Earlier

Fatal drowning at Springfield school update

We have new information in the case of the 12-year-old drowning during swim class at Kiley Middle School Friday, Feb., 15.

Springfield Police say at the time of the drowning, there were around 40 students in the class with two supervisors.

School officials are calling this all a "tragic accident."

They say just after 2:30, the 12-year-old drowned during a regular gym class.

He was rushed to the hospital where he was pronounced dead.

"We experienced a tragic loss today. One of the members of our school family passed away in a tragic accident," said Springfield Superintendent, Daniel Warwick.

"This is a tragedy that has effected the whole family of the city of Springfield," Says, Springfield Mayor, Domenic Sarno.

Police tell CBS 3 that they shut down intersections to assist as the ambulance made it's way to Baystate Medical Center.

But the boy was pronounced dead at the hospital.

Both the superintendent and mayor were visibly emotional as they sent condolences to the family.

"It's an irreplaceable loss. Many of us have children, we can only imagine that, so first sympathy," Sarno said.

School officials say they're working to figure out exact details.

"We're conducting a full investigation of the events surrounding this incident," Warwick said.

An emotional superintendent Warwick said they were being supervised by gym teachers and he can't recall anything like this happening before.

"Never in my memory, and I go back a long ways in the school system and like I said to the family, words just can't describe how badly we feel about it and our condolences go out to them," he said.

Swim classes at the school have been suspended in the midst of this investigation until further notice.

Students have been notified through the school's ConnectEd system and will have access to grief counselors.

Springfield Police continue to investigate.

Copyright 2013 WSHM (Meredith Corporation). All rights reserved.