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Drowned Teen Was Four Hours Underwater
posted (March 13, 2018)
And from murder to a tragic teen drowning…

Today, instead of their normal morning classes, Pallotti High School students had counseling sessions to try and cope with the loss of their classmate and friend. 16 year old Miracle Ojo was at a friend's pool party on Saturday at the Pickwick Club when she drowned. But no one knows for sure why or when she went under. Courtney Weatherburne tries to put the narrative together.

Courtney Weatherburne reporting
Christina Perry's "A Thousand Years" is Miracle Ojo's favorite song. She would sing it any chance she got.

Cassandra Sabal, Home Room Teacher, 3 Science
"She could pelt out a tune right and so that is one of my fondest memories of her. She would sing while she was doing her chores, she would sing just to get you to smile."

But today, Miracle's friends had to sing without her. She drowned on Saturday at the Pickwick pool. She was celebrating her friend's Sweet Sixteen. According to her father she was only to stay until about 3:00 in the afternoon but at around midday, someone called him to say that Miracle was missing.

Femi Ojo, Father
"By the time we hear the news, they had to call my wife and they said they do not see Miracle. When we got there, we saw the pants, the converse, the shirt, the school bag everything was there but my wife came in to ask that they check the pool, check the pool but none of them went to check because there was no lifeguard there, nobody was there to take care of this and instead of that they are telling us different stories that they say Miracle leave with somebody, we saw Miracle..So we started searching places that are close, going to Princess looking for her but not knowing that the innocent child is right in the pool for more than 4 hours."

This amateur video shows a group of men hauling Miracle's limp body out of the water. They resuscitated her but she died later on around 5:00.

Justin Usher was the first to try and save Miracle.

Justin Usher, First Responder
"I went to the edge of the water and they said the body was somewhere in the deeper part which is about 10 feet deep. So I jumped in and me and the guy from BERT, I think his name is Darwin Slusher we went down under the water and then I saw the body of Miracle under the water, lying flat under the rock bottom of the water so I held her and pick her up and brought her to top."

Now there are many questions left unanswered - didn't anyone see Miracle go into the pool? Did she fall in? Why wasn't any lifeguard at the pool? Miracle's family is desperate for answers.

Femi Ojo, Father
"The establishers, the organizers and all this it is very alarming and uncalled for to that extent. And up to now we have not seen the video tape, the cameras should be able to justify the in-depth analysis of what happened from the beginning to the end."

"The funniest thing is that the children were there partying by the pool, swimming but why wasn't anyone able to identify."

"I am not pressing charges on anyone but I am leaving vengeance to God because I am God believer."

And while Miracle's family clings on faith, her teachers and friends hold on to memories.

Rushawn Reynolds, English Teacher
"She became the light of our class, very jovial always the one to be positive in class. To encourage them to do their best and she would always talk about her faith in God."

Cassandra Sabal, Home Room Teacher, 3 Science
"I refer to her as our prayer warrior because she is able to fill the room with the holy spirit with her prayer and her singing once she told me that her very purpose was to make others happy and I believe she did just that."

We asked the Pickwick management for comment, but they declined saying they are seeking legal advice. They say they will comment later this week.

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