Mourning mother didn’t know her son was going to the swimming pool

The family of 14-year-old Joshua Pamatag who drowned in the Suva Olympic Pool on Saturday is still trying to come to terms with his death.

Pamatag’s mother, Aranga Neneia says Pamatag’s friends visited them on Friday and asked to go out with Pamatag to celebrate a friend’s birthday.

Neneia says she thought they will go to a restaurant and did not know that Pamatag and his friends will be going to Suva Olympic Pool.

She says they never allowed their son to go for picnics or even swimming on his own however he knew how to swim.

She adds that Pamatag was known in the family as a hero as he was always helping everyone in the family and the community.

Police say the Year 8 student was last seen sitting on the edge of the swimming pool before he disappeared.

He was later found motionless underwater.

Attempts were made to revive him but it proved futile and was rushed to the CWM Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

Police investigations continue.