Carroll ISD has opened its new aquatic facility named in honor of a student who drowned during swim practice in 2016.
The Elise Cerami Aquatic Center, located at 2400 North Carroll Ave. in Southlake, is now open to swimmers.
As previously reported in The Dallas Express, Carroll ISD’s board of trustees voted to change the facility’s name earlier this year.
It now stands as a tribute to a 13-year-old student and avid swimmer who died while training for the Southlake Carroll High School swim team.
The tragedy has weighed heavily on Cerami’s family, prompting them to open a nonprofit geared toward promoting water safety called the Swim4Elise Foundation.
“How could she drown? It happens when no one is watching. Sadly, Elise drowned eight feet from an empty lifeguard chair while her coach was in the office getting coffee,” explained Elise’s mother Lori Cerami, according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
Tracey Boyd, the swim coach, was eventually found guilty of abandonment and endangerment of a child by criminal negligence and sentenced to three years of probation.
The Swim4Elise Foundation has worked with local entities like daycare centers to raise awareness and prevent drownings.
“We’re beyond grateful that the CISD administration and school board voted to make this happen and that the community has been so supportive in letting us share Elise’s life in a way that just makes a positive impact in our community and raises awareness, especially for kids with regards to water safety,” Cerami told Fox 4 News KDFW.
“And being able to share Elise’s story, people can really connect with the message and it becomes so much more meaningful,” Cerami added.
There have been several local drownings this year at water parks, pools, and lakes.
For instance, the swim beach at Lewisville Lake Park was shut down indefinitely earlier this month after three consecutive drownings occurred in July, as covered in The Dallas Express. The victims were three men, two aged 19 and one in his 40s.