“He Was Right There — And No One Saw Him”
Tragic drowning of Montreal teen sparks urgent calls for reform
For 38 agonizing minutes, 14-year-old Blessing Claude Moukoko lay motionless at the bottom of a swimming pool — unnoticed, unheard, and unseen during a routine high school swim class in Montreal.
What began as a typical physical education lesson on February 15 ended in heartbreak when classmates at Centre Père-Marquette finally noticed Blessing’s body submerged in the deep end — only after the class had ended.
By the time he was pulled from the water and rushed to Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital, the eighth-grader had already suffered devastating brain damage. Despite efforts to revive him, Blessing passed away six days later.
A coroner’s report released Monday has shaken the community and prompted urgent calls to revamp school swimming programs. The report emphasized that swimming instruction should prioritize water safety, not just technique.
“It just breaks my heart,” said Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante. “Let’s make sure our kids know how to behave in water. And let’s make sure school boards have the resources to keep them safe.”
Blessing’s death has become a devastating wake-up call — a reminder that even under supervision, tragedies can go unnoticed unless the right safeguards are in place.
