June 13, 2008
by Susie Pender
After a second steaming day that almost reached 100 degrees, Cesar Leon-Leon, aged 21, and three of his friends who worked together in the kitchen at the Whippoorwill Country Club decided Tuesday night to cool off in the club’s pool. At that time, around 8:45 p.m., the pool was closed for the day with no lifeguard on duty.
According to Detective Sergeant James Wilson of the New Castle Police, Leon-Leon jumped off the diving board into the deep end of the pool, which is twelve feet deep in some sections. His friends noticed that he was having problems swimming and that he had sunk to the bottom of the pool after struggling to get to the side.
His friends, who like Leon-Leon, were not strong swimmers, tried to get him up from the bottom of the pool, but after a couple of attempts were unable to raise him from the twelve foot depth, explained Detective Sergeant Wilson. One of the friends called 911 for help from his cell phone at 8:50 p.m. When a 911 call is placed from a cell phone, it goes to the New York State police, who then dispatch the local police.
Officer Ernesto Giraldez of the New Castle Police was the first to arrive at the club. When he discovered that the victim was still in the pool, he jumped in to try to get him out. He could not raise Leon-Leon alone. When Sergeant Steven Heady of the New Castle Police arrived, together they were able to get him up and immediately started CPR. Members of the Chappaqua Volunteer Ambulance Corps were on hand to transport the victim to Northern Westchester Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
According to Detective Sergeant Wilson, the death has been ruled an accidental drowning. Like most municipal police departments, the New Castle police send victim’s toxicology screens away to laboratories for analysis. Final results are not expected for a few months.
Copyright 2008 NewCastleNOW.org