22-Year-old drowns in apartment complex swimming pool

MISHAWAKA, Ind. -- Family has confirmed that Kevin Mwangi, 22, died after he was found at the bottom of a swimming pool at his Mishawaka apartment complex.

Police were called to McKinley Woods Apartment complex on 322 Pin Oak Circle just before 6:30 p.m. Wednesday night for a possible drowning. Police said Mwangi was rushed to St. Joesph Regional Medical Center where he was later pronounced dead.  

Neighbors said they heard cries for help from Mwangi's identical twin brother and rushed to over to help. Three neighbors then jumped in to pull the young man out of the water. Moments later a CPR certified neighbor began performing CPR until emergency responders arrived.

Channing Loyd was on her way to the pool with her kids when she heard the commotion and was one of the first to rush to man's side.

"I was sitting there praying with him, telling him that he was going to make it and that everything was going to be fine. I have just never been through something like that and it was really scary. I knew he was gone," said a tearful Loyd.

Edward Powell, another neighbor, woke up from a nap to the screams for help and was the first to dive in after Mwangi. Powell said he tried to pull Mwangi out on his own, but said he was just too heavy. So, with the help of two other neighbors they were able to finally get him out of the water.

"I was going off adrenaline, I didn't even think at the moment. I didn't take anything off, I just dove in the pool," said Powell.

 Despite neighbors' best efforts, Mwangi remained unresponsive.

"I knew something was wrong with him because they kept pressing on him and pressing on him but he didn't wake up," said Loyd.  

 Loyd said that Mwangi's brother tried to use the emergency phone located inside the pool area to call for help, but it wasn't working. After Mwangi was rushed to the hospital, Loyd saw the apartment's maintenance crew repairing the phone.

"There are no lifeguards, there's nothing. So, it's too late to come out and try and fix the phone," said Loyd.

"If the phone was working, that's what the phone was out there for, an emergency. It says emergency on it. So, he should have been able to pick up the phone and somebody should have been able to be reached. If someone was there quicker, he would be alive".

According to the family, who say they moved to South Bend from Kenya in 2008, Mwangi knew how to swim and say it is still unclear how he drown.

The family said a friend, who was with him at the time, said Mwangi dove into the pool but never came back up. The pool, at its deepest point, is nine feet deep. Neighbors said Mwangi was at the deepest part of the pool when they pulled him from the water.