The tragedy of Min and Ying: they wanted their son to learn to swim and drowned in the colony – 07/02/2019

Lucas Kevin Lin, age 5, played Tuesday in the colony of the Lincoln School of La Plata, a private institution among the most traditional in the region. When teachers counted for tea, in the middle of the afternoon, they discovered that he was not there. One of the leaders of the group rushed to the pool and found it. He was in the background, already dead.

A day earlier, Lucas celebrated the Chinese New Year. A tradition that their parents have maintained. Min and Ying, since their arrival in Argentina, in the 80's. Seven months ago, at the door of the family supermarket, the same baby survived after being hit by a motorcycle. He was interned for weeks but recovered.

"I sent him to the colony so that he can learn to swim"Min Lin said, between two sobs, from the sports field gate where he went when someone called him from school." Lucas was afraid of water. In January, I took it to Tiger and I did it. I have always learned little by little to learn. "Then he would say that "I did not know that they were going to put it in this big pool (of a maximum depth of 3 meters) ", which was fixed and that there" were no cameras ".

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Min had worked hard so that her two children (Lucas's brother is 7 years old) go to this school. It is one of the most expensive in the region. You pay up to 15,000 pesos of monthly fee for a double day. Parents can subscribe separately to the services of the summer camp, called "Lincoln Summer Camp". Lucas had been there since Friday.

He entered the colony that morning and at 4:45, they found him in the pool. The autopsy determined that he had died of "immersion asphyxiation".

"If I have to keep them, I will send them to the best places," he said. This motivation is not accidental. Min learned from his father, "Jose" – name that he incorporated in Argentina – when he arrived, by ship, "without a peso", 23 years ago. With him, his wife and their four children stayed in China. Once installed, they brought the whole family.

José and Lucas's father opened a supermarket on the 13th and the 32nd, in the district of La Plata, known as Barrio Norte. They also bought another, called "Don Jose", located in number 46 between number 3 and number 4. As it was recorded in surveillance cameras, in front of one of the Lucas family stores was struck by a motorcycle that hit him on the sidewalk and ran away. . Due to this incident, the family did not get justice.

Seven months after that day, parents went Wednesday to the doors of the school to seek justice and they denounced "negligence" in this tragedy in the colony.

The cause is led by UFI 5. Fiscal Cecilia Corfield imputed the lifeguard, a teacher and a coordinator They were responsible for the group of 17 children from 3 to 6 years old in which he was. There were five adults at that time with the boys.

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The Mayor of La Plata, Julio Garro, also expressed his solidarity with the family of the child and recalled that he had lived a similar experience. He knew "the pain".

"I lost a son in an accident in a pool in the year 98 and the truth is that I know the pain, I understand. I am waiting for those days of mourning to sit down and talk with the parents and be able to kiss them and hug them, "he said.

On Wednesday, around a hundred people gathered at the 43rd street supermarket doors shortly after midday and then went to Plaza Italia, in the heart of the capital of Buenos Aires, and then to the headquarters of the city. # 39; school. from 6, between 41 and 42. The posters said "Justice for Lucas".

The members of Lin's group of friends are all very close and came to support them. To help them in this difficult moment. We all want to know what happened and we must resolve the responsibilities, "said Carina Clarin, a Chinese girl who participated in the protest.

Tong, a friend of Min and Ying, repeated that "the family was very close". In addition, the day before, Lucas was with them to celebrate the Chinese New Year. but also for you, the Argentineans, because they (for the Lin family) are also Argentines, "he said.