Safety

Boston Family Seeks Answers For Boy’s Death at Summer Camp

Published on: October 15, 2016 | by Bellotti Law Group

In July of 2016, Kyzr Willis, a 7-year-old boy who was participating in a city-sponsored drop day camp, went missing at Carson Beach in South Boston, Massachusetts. Unfortunately, a few hours after he was discovered missing, his body was found in the water. The Boston Police Department (“BPD”) is investigating Kyzr Willis’s death, but has not provided Willis’s family with his autopsy report or returned his personal effects.

Kyzr was one of 56 children who was dropped off on July 26, 2016 at the South Boston’s Center’s for Youth and Families at the Curley Center. The camp ran between 10 AM to 3 PM, Monday through Friday. It was supervised by 25 teenage counselors, two supervisors, and the director of the Curley Center. Carson Beach also had eight lifeguards, two of which were assigned to the section of the beach that was partitioned off specifically for the use of the camp’s children. Unfortunately, neither the camp supervisor nor the two life guards at the beach noticed when Kyzr Willis wandered away from the group.

After Kyzr Willis went missing, the camp called the Boston Police Department, but according to Kyzr Willis’s mother, did not inform her of her son’s disappearance. Instead, her nine-year old niece called her to inform her that Kyzr Willis was missing. A BPD officer reported that the camp counselors were completely unaware of where Kyzr Willis was. As such, BPD initially focused on a land search, believing that he had wandered off to his home in Dorchester.

Back to School: Tips to Keep Your Children Safe From Bus Accidents

Published on: September 1, 2016 | by Bellotti Law Group

It is back-to-school time in Massachusetts! Whether students are going to public or private school, kindergarten or twelfth grade, it is time for parents to rush to the store, buy school supplies, and brush up on their math. It is also time for parents to send their kids off to school on school buses, which means brushing up on school bus safety.

School buses are the safest mode of transportation for students, not only because of their size but also because of how seats are constructed. Like many states, Massachusetts does not require school buses to have seat belts for children. While many parents are concerned about their children riding school buses without seatbelts and many communities can require school buses to have seatbelts, studies have shown that buses with padded seats that are higher in the back and have short front to back seat spacing are safer for young students. Bus drivers are required to wear seatbelts while driving. Continue reading

Boy Missing from South Boston Camp Found Drowned in Carson Beach

Published on: August 1, 2016 | by Bellotti Law Group

Boston has launched a review of protocols at all its summer camps after a young boy was found drowned at a beach after disappearing from a South Boston day camp.

On Tuesday, July 26, 2015, at approximately 7:09 p.m., 7-year-old Kyzr Willis was recovered by police in the water behind the L Street Bathhouse at the Curley Community Center after he wandered away unnoticed from camp.“My heart goes out to the family,” Police Commissioner William B. Evans told reports at the scene. “This is a tragedy.”

Willis was attending a drop-in summer day camp at the Curley Community Center when he went missing. The South Boston community center where the camp is held includes a bathhouse at Carson Beach where the boy was last scene at around 2:15 p.m. He could not be found when his mother came to pick him up less than an hour later.

MAY IS NATIONAL DROWNING PREVENTION MONTH

Published on: May 13, 2013 | by Bellotti Law Group

New Englanders were forced to exhibit much patience this winter and early spring, but the weather has finally begun to warm in the Boston metro area. As such, it is imperative to remember to practice routine water safety around all swimming pools, lakes, beaches, ocean activities, and ponds. The inherent risks swimming venues present should been appreciated by all, but especially parents and children. As a reminder, the National Drowning Prevention Alliance (NDPA) has designated May as “National Drowning Prevention Month.”

Tragically, drowning is the second-leading cause of death for children ages 1-4. Often, drowning deaths are silent and happen quickly, even when guardians are otherwise vigilant in their supervision. The Alliance hopes the increased awareness will result in fewer tragedies and prevent accidental drowning deaths and serious personal injuries when families are enjoying relaxation and recreation around bodies of water this summer. Local Massachusetts organizations, such as the Christian E. Frechette Foundation, also implore all children and their guardians to practice safe habits and close supervision around bodies of water.

The Boston personal injury lawyers at Bellotti Law Group fully support the NDPA’s mission of reducing drowning accidents and pass along the following water safety tips from the Alliance. If you or a loved one was injured or wrongfully killed due to another person’s negligent practice, call our Boston, Cambridge, or Quincy office today at 617-225-2100.