CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. -- An investigation by police has initially determined that an adult female and juvenile drowned in the deep end of a pool when the woman tried to help the six-year-old boy.
At about 5:18 p.m. on Sunday, May 27, police responded to the pool at the Chesterfield Village Apartments in the 200 block of Lingstorm Lane.
Responding officers learned a juvenile male and an adult female were found unresponsive in the swimming pool.
The male, Cah’lik Brown, 6, and the female, Christina Awosina, 23, were removed from the pool by other community members, according to Chesterfield Police.
Officers and community members performed CPR on them. Rescue personnel arrived and transported both to Chippenham Hospital, where both were pronounced dead.
Cah’lik Brown, 6
Cah’lik and Awosina both lived in the 7700 block of Belasco Drive.
Awosina was Cah’lik’s aunt.
At this point, the investigation indicates they both entered the deep end of the pool.
At one point, Cah’lik let go of the pool wall and began to struggle in the water. Awosina let go of the pool wall in an attempt to help Cah’lik, and she began to struggle in the water, as well.
Police continue to investigate this incident, but at this point foul play is not suspected.
Christina Awosina, 23.
Shawn Swinson, who lives in an apartment near the pool, said he was readying his infant son to head to the pool when he heard sirens.
"Walked out and there was fire, police, EMS everywhere and everyone was crowded out front,” he said. "Didn't really know what was going on until I saw the child having chest compression done."
A sign posted inside the pool area read there was "No Lifeguard" on duty. Neighbors said the complex does provide what they called a "pool monitor." Swinson said management at the apartment complex is usually very responsive, and he hoped the pool area was better monitored in the future.
"Hopefully the management here gets the message, and they make it right. Nothing is ever going to make it right for the family," Swinson said.
Awosina's neighbor Reggie Coleman said she was cool and pretty quiet, and always seemed to be busy.
Cah'lik Brown
He said he's in shock that he will never see her again.
Awosina's family says she was a sophomore at J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College and she was majoring in English. Her older sister says she was an avid reader. When she wasn't in class she worked as a cashier at Kroger.
Cah'lik was a kindergartener at J.L. Francis Elementary School. His family says he loved school, hanging out with family and friends and watching Spider-Man. His aunt says he was looking forward to becoming a first grader.
Awosina's sister says Christina and Cah'lik were very close and were the most "caring and thoughtful human beings."
Cah'lik's mom wants to raise awareness on safety at community swimming pools. She says her son did not know how to swim.
Cah'lik was the youngest of four kids. He leaves behind two brothers and a sister.
A vigil planned Friday for both victims has been canceled. Cah'lik's funeral will be held Saturday.
Two GoFundMe pages were started by family members to help with funeral costs.
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