SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WGGB/WSHM) - Our team coverage of the incident at High Meadow now turns to how people are responding to the tragedy. Western Mass News has more on what community members and others who were in attendance for one of Wednesday’s field trips are saying.

Prayers and heartfelt messages have been pouring in since that day, when we first reported on the incident, especially now that the boy has been identified as 14-year-old E’mari Marshall-Woodard, a student in Springfield Public Schools.

An outpouring of emotions was seen on social media as a response to the incident, “my condolences to the family and my prayers to everyone who witnessed it and were involved in this traumatic event.”, “So, heartbreaking. Hits really close to home. My 8th grader was there yesterday for his class trip. Big love to this child’s family and everyone else who was there.”

We also heard from one mother in Bloomfield, Connecticut, who said her eighth-grade son was in the pool when it happened. She explained what her son told her he witnessed, “the kid was playing with his friend. His friend was throwing water at him, and he took a step too far back and he slipped into the six-foot side,” Abigail said, “they were all like, you know, freaking out about everybody running in trying to save the kid. He said they saw the kid floating in the water.”

Abigail said her son had been excited to finally go on this field trip, but now he’s left with what she describes as a frightening memory of watching it unfold.

Western Mass News is still working to confirm details about the incident with police and other officials as to what exactly took place. Stay with us both on air and online as that information comes into our newsroom.

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