Wellesley Officials Auditing, Surveying Morses Pond

Morses Pond remains closed while officials and contractors get to the bottom of it--literally.

Town Executive Director Hans Larsen told the to complete surveying of the bottom of the pond.

To review pond safety in the wake of the drowning death of 10-year-old Alexander Glennon of Manchester, NH, the town hired DeRosa Aquatic Consulting in a police update before the meeting, the following aspects of pond operation: 

• Policies and procedures relevant to the operation of the beach, including the Emergency Action Plan (EAP) 
• Staff qualifications, job responsibilities and ongoing training programs 
• Staffing patterns and placement of staff 
• Site evaluation and inspection of beach infrastructure including safety/rescue equipment

Seavision Underwater Solutions, Inc, who will do a comprehensive survey of the pond.

Added Larsen, "Morses pond will not be reopened until any concerns raised by the aquatic safety review are met."

He said that updates about the pond's status would be released on the Town website and on the Police website going forward. 

Police Chief Terrence Cunningham said that police are still awaiting final reporting from the Medical Examiner. The preliminary reports indicate that the death was accidental, but it may take six to eight weeks for the final report and toxicology to return. 

Larsen added, "The town continues to extend heartfelt condolences to family of Alexander Glennon, and to extend gratitude to the life guards and others who searched for him.

Resident Trond Undheim, who was on the beach on June 1, told the Board that parents wanted to help, but were unable to do so.

"Many parents and residents were not taken into consideration. We felt quite helpless out of the water." Undheim noted, "I wanted to state that that was probably not the best use of a lot of human resources that were on-site, that could swim and could help."

Selectman Terri Tsigaris said that the concern has been raised, and contractors will consider it. There will be further meetings about the status of Morses Pond, she added. 

Just before 6 p.m. on June 1, crews from Wellesley Police and Fire Departments scoured Morses Pond for a 10-year-old boy who had gone missing. The boy was found in the water about an hour later, taken to Newton-Wellesley Hospital, and died at the hospital.

The pond had been open for two weeks when the young boy from New Hampshire drowned. The pond was fully staffed at the time of the incident, and officers were on scene within minutes of the initial 911 call, according to a post on the Police website