Two Miami Beach employees suspended, one fired after rec leader drowns at city pool
Two Miami Beach employees were suspended and another was fired, but criminal charges are not expected after a recreation leader drowned at the Scott Rakow Youth Center last month.
A city spokesperson confirmed Friday that one pool lifeguard who was on duty when the Aug. 16 incident occurred has been suspended, along with a part-time recreation leader for the city. A second lifeguard on the pool deck, who was a seasonal employee, has been fired, Miami Beach spokesperson Melissa Berthier said.
Berthier said the two suspended employees will face hearings to determine if they should be fired, too. She declined to release the employees’ names, citing an open investigation by Miami Beach police.
Family members of Peniel “P.J.” Janvier, 28, held a press conference Friday morning outside the Scott Rakow Youth Center to demand answers about how the tragedy happened and why it wasn’t stopped.
Janvier’s mother, Nicole Mathurin, asked members of the public to “please come forward” with any videos, photos or information about the incident.
“My son was a great son,” she said. “He was my eyes, my heart, everything.”
Janvier was a recreation leader and football coach for Miami Beach’s Parks and Recreation Department. He was playing with kids at the Scott Rakow Youth Center’s outdoor pool on Aug. 16, the last day of summer camp, when he drowned, according to a Miami Beach police incident report.
The police report says Janvier, an Army Reserve member, was “observed in distress and after a while several coaches and lifeguards took him out [of] the pool.” He was brought to Mt. Sinai hospital and placed on a ventilator. He died Aug. 26 after 10 days in critical condition.
In a statement Friday, Miami Beach Mayor Dan Gelber said Janvier’s death was a “great loss” for the city.
“While the matter is under investigation, nothing can change the fact that PJ was very much beloved by those who worked with him and knew him,” Gelber said. “It is my expectation that after a full review all the facts will be shared with the community and PJ’s family.”
What happened?
Janvier’s family and attorneys say it’s not clear how Janvier entered the pool or why he was apparently submerged for an extended period of time before being pulled out. The attorneys said the brain damage he sustained indicated he may have been underwater for 15 minutes or more.
“We understand there were a lot of people on the pool deck,” attorney Douglas McCarron said. “This incident never should have happened.”
Attorneys for the family said they have heard “rumors” that Janvier may have been pushed into the pool by a 6-year-old camper, and that an on-duty lifeguard may have been on his phone at the time. But they said none of those details have been confirmed and called on the city to release more information.
Miami Beach police have not released any video or witness statements, citing the open investigation.
In a statement, the city of Miami Beach said criminal charges are not expected after police reviewed the circumstances with the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office.
The incident was previously reported by Local 10 News and the Miami New Times.
Janvier also worked as a sanitation inspector for the city of Miami, according to his LinkedIn profile. In that profile, Janvier wrote that he had a “passion for parks and recreation.”
“My mission is to bring joy, happiness, and well-being to the community I serve in any capacity,” he wrote. “[M]y goal is to uphold the standards of the community while creating an environment where children, families, and people of all ages can bond, treasure moments, and create new experiences.”
This story was originally published September 2, 2022 at 12:00 PM.
