Parents of boy who drowned during recess sue board, city

SASKATOON — The parents of a five-yearold autistic boy who died after falling into a pond on his first full day of school are suing the Saskatoon school board and the city, alleging negligence cost them the light of their lives.

Ahmedsadiq Hussein Elmmi died after falling into a storm pond near École Dundonald School on Sept. 11 after morning recess.

“I lost my heart,” his mother Fathiya Nour told the Canadian Press on Tuesday. “My heart is broken.”

The boy’s death has been hardest on the couple’s three-year-old, who still asks after his older brother.

“He was asking me this morning and he said: ‘Bring my brother back, daddy. I want my brother,’ ” said Hussein Elmmi, the boy’s father.

“The house misses him. He was a really lovely boy. I feel like I had everything when I’m with him.”

A statement of claim filed on behalf of the boy’s parents alleges his death was preventable and the school board was negligent. The lawsuit also alleges negligence on the part of the city for not properly fencing off the pond.

“The defendants, and Saskatoon Public Schools in particular, have shown outrageous disregard for safety and, in particular, the safety of Ahmed, special-needs children like Ahmed, and children in general,” the statement of claim reads.

“Ahmed’s behaviour of wandering/ running is common in autistic children. But it is foreseeable that any child facing stress from attending a new school may decide to leave an unfenced playground and come to harm.”

No statement of defence has been filed and the claims have not been proven in court. In an emailed statement, the City of Saskatoon said it was reviewing the statement of claim.