“Very traumatic”: One minor killed, three injured after wall collapses in swimming pool at air force base

Earlier this week, a minor was killed and three others were injured at Robins Air Force Base in the US state of Georgia when a wall collapsed on them in the men’s locker room of the base’s swimming pool.

The incident occurred Monday in the men’s locker room at the Heritage Club pool, according to a statement from Col. Deedrick Reese, the facility and 78th Air Base Wing commander. The incident is under investigation, the wing said Friday.

“Our sympathies for these individuals and their families are heartbroken. We remain committed to our pilots and their loved ones during this difficult time for Team Robins,” Reese said. “We want to thank the first responders – including lifeguards, installation and community personnel – who responded to this tragic incident with compassion and professionalism.”

Continue reading: The Myth of Choice: Why We Exclude Military Spouses from the Labor Market

One minor was treated on site and three others were taken to hospital, where one of his relatives succumbed to his injuries, the base said in a statement.

Melissa Noles told Military.com in a phone interview Friday that her grandson and step-grandson were injured when a wall made of cinder blocks and concrete collapsed on the boys Monday afternoon.

Her grandson, who suffered broken ribs, a collapsed lung and other internal injuries in the incident, was released from the hospital Friday afternoon. She said all the children were very close and her grandson and step-grandson have “survivor guilt” for witnessing their friend’s fatal injuries.

“It was very traumatic,” Noles told Military.com. “He will have to live with it for the rest of his life and we don’t know if he will have any long-term physical problems as a result of his injuries.”

Shellie Espinosa, a spokeswoman for the 78th Air Base Wing, told Military.com that the pool, which is only available to those with base access, is temporarily closed and that the incident is under investigation.

In a press release, the base said pastoral care services were available to soldiers, their families and those who were at the scene of the incident.

Robins Air Force Base in Houston County, Georgia, is home to “the largest industrial complex at one location in Georgia, employing nearly 24,000 civilians, contract workers and military personnel,” according to the base’s website.

Related: $450 million B-1B Lancer crash attributed to crew failure and “degradation of pilot skills”

The story goes on