A 12-year-old boy died Monday after he touched a fence that had been electrified by a live wire at an athletic complex near an Augusta community center, the Augusta Chronicle reported.
Melquan Kwame Robinson was at football practice at the Fleming Athletic Complex near the Bernie Ward Community Center when he was electrocuted by the chain-link fence, Richmond County Coroner Mark Bowen told the newspaper.
Two other children and an adult were also injured by the fence, the Augusta Chronicle reported. Their conditions remain unknown.
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An incident report, obtained by the newspaper, said one of the other children was injured trying to pull Robinson from the fence. The report said Robinson was climbing the fence to get a football that was on the other side.
A Richmond County deputy performed chest compressions on Robinson until an ambulance arrived, the report said. Robinson was taken to the Children’s Hospital of Georgia where he died Monday night, the newspaper reported. The GBI performed an autopsy on him Tuesday.
The City of Augusta owns and operates the community center and athletic complex, the newspaper reported. Mayor Hardie Davis sent the Augusta Chronicle a statement that said:
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of all involved in this incident. We ask Augustans to stand together to extend our condolences and embrace the family of Melquan Kwame Robinson with love during this sudden and unexpected loss.”
Robinson was a member of the Trinity Elite Titans football team, which said, “We are sending our prayers and love out to the family of our football player (Melquan Kwame Robinson), who has gone to rest with the Lord,” in a Facebook post.
Robinson was a seventh-grader at Morgan Road Middle School, the Augusta Chronicle reported.
Kaden Jacobs, Richmond County school system’s director of communications, told the newspaper that, “Our thoughts are with the family during this difficult time” and the school system has “provided additional support to Morgan Road Middle School for students and staff.”
The Richmond County Coroner’s Officer, Sheriff’s Office and the city will each conduct their own investigation into Robinson’s death and how the live electrical wire happened, the Augusta Chronicle reported.
Georgia Power sent the newspaper a statement that said: “Georgia Power’s condolences and sympathies are with the individuals and their families following last night’s tragic event at Fleming Athletic Complex. Our preliminary investigation indicates that Georgia Power does not control or maintain the voltage that energized the fences at the complex.”
All football activities at Fleming Park have been canceled for the rest of the week.
A GoFundMe page has been set up for the family, and it has raised about $1,600 of its $6,000 fundraising goal as of Tuesday night.
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