ATLANTA — Authorities responded to an an apparent drowning at an apartment complex in Atlanta.
Atlanta Police said they were called to 500 Northside Circle NW to respond to complaints about a large pool party.
While officers were at the apartment complex called The 500, they were notified that a 19-year-old man appeared to have drowned, APD said.
CPR was conducted and the victim was taken to the hospital. APD said they can confirm the 19-year-old died as a result of the incident.
A video shows dozens of cars leaving the apartment complex. You could also see trash left behind near the pool after the people cleared out.
A witness told 11Alive the scene was chaotic.
“Things got crazy and some fights broke out around the pool. People started getting out, saw the guy drowning, pulled him out and started pumping on his chest," Matthew Jones said.
He said about 300 to 400 people were there.
“I guess people were in the pool and they were partying, and they didn’t notice," he added.
Jones said someone tried to jump in and save the teen.
“He was just not breathing," Jones said. "People were crowding around him, officers were trying to do CPR.”
11Alive found a flier online that says the party was supposed to be from 3 p.m. until 9 p.m.
We also reached out to the apartment complex that said they are sending notice to residents about the incident. They said this was an unauthorized event:
Dear Residents,
You may have heard about a tragic event at the pool this weekend. Someone held an unauthorized event at the pool. The news media is reporting that, tragically, a young person drowned. Our hearts go out to his friends and family. We would like to take a few moments to reinforce some critical points.
First, be aware that drowning does not look like you might expect. The Red Cross says that people often slip under the water or even appear to be swimming but can be in distress. It is important for everyone to keep an eye out for others in the water especially when no lifeguard is on duty.
We are cooperating fully with law enforcement in their search for who is responsible. Also – in addition to the legal aspects, we must also reinforce that this unauthorized event broke a number of pool rules – including those which forbid alcohol use. Also, the pool is for the use of residents only. Any residents responsible for planning or promoting this event have violated the terms of their lease and will have their lease terminated.
Sincerely,
Management, The 500 Apartments
There have been several drowning reported in the last few days.
Mark “TJ” Phongsavanh, 6 years old, was pronounced dead at 10:37 a.m. Monday, at Scottish Rite Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, according to Mt. Airy police. The boy was found in the private swimming pool in the Towerview subdivision off Demorest-Mt. Airy Highway Saturday evening.
34-year-old Jermiah Israel of Jonesboro was found in West Point Lake early Monday after he tried to rescue his 64-year-old father from drowning after he accidentally fell overboard. The body of 61-year-old Michael Thompson was pulled out of Lake Lanier Saturday after he was discovered in the water near his boat dock by a relative. 31-year-old Terrell Whitehead from Perry, Georgia, drowned when he fell off a jet ski while waiting to load it onto a trailer in Lake Lanier the same day.
In Florida, 63-year-old Rogelio Moreno Gaitan of Lawrenceville drowned on Friday in the Gulf of Mexico, where he was swimming by himself near Destin.
Two near drownings also happened over the weekend. A 13-year-old boy was pulled out of a pool in Hall County on Saturday, along with another 9-year-old who was rescued from a pool at a home on Clarks Bridge Road.
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