“Kartik was a brilliant student and the gurukula community is crestfallen due to his sudden demise. We pray to the Lord that he may attain the eternal shelter of His lotus feet. Due to this event, the swimming pool in the school has been completely shut down for the time being until the investigation is completed.” (from the Gurukul’s official statement on the death of Kartik Sharma)
The Deceased, Kartik Sharma
Kartik’s parents took his body to Delhi yesterday for his last rites, after the post-mortem was completed. The Gurukul boys performed a special kirtan in his honor.
Meanwhile, police are investigating the circumstances surrounding Kartik’s death. On the condition of anonymity, we asked multiple sources within the Gurukul to speak about what happened that day.
Their accounts were the same: Kartik went to the pool with his class of fourteen other boys and his class teacher. Amidst all the play and activity in the pool, none of the students, nor the class teacher who was present, noticed that Kartik had drowned. It was only after the class left the pool and the teacher did a head-count, that Kartik was found missing.
Initial reports that the boy’s friends noticed him drowning and alerted authorities appear to be innacurate.
The Gurukul’s official statement tells a similar story to what we heard from Gurukul insiders. The statement also says that, according to Kartik’s parents, he was an excellent swimmer and had experience swimming in the Ganga River at Haridwar.
Why did Kartik drown, despite reportedly being a good swimmer? Did he experience a health problem that led to his demise? Did he develop cramps and suddenly lose control? We don’t know the answers to these questions. Hopefully the police investigation will reveal more about what happened to Kartik that day.
Gurukul ceremony in honor of Kartik Sharma
Drowning is not like what we see in the movies: It can occur quickly and quietly, as the victim’s lungs fill with water and the body sinks. CNN reports that an actively drowning person typically starts sinking after only 20 seconds. According to an FBI bulletin, “The human body weighs slightly more than fresh water. Consequently, when individuals become unconscious, they sink […] Generally, a drowning victim will reach the bottom of a body of water in spite of the depth.[…]” (Haupt, Gary. “Drowning Investigations”, FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin; Feb 2006, Vol. 75 Issue 2, p.14)
The condition of the Gurukul’s swimming pool may be partially responsible. Sources from within the Gurukul say that the swimming pool is in dire need of rennovation. Lighting in the facility is poor and the water is not transparent, thus one cannot see into the water with much depth.
Having a professional lifeguard on duty, in addition to good training in pool safety amongst teachers and students, can help prevent tragedies like this one. It is our sincere hope that the Bhaktivedanta Gurukul will hire a lifeguard in addition to rennovating the pool.
The Gurukul’s Pool
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