On June 14th, 4-year-old Israel “Izzy” Scott was on his second day of swimming lessons in Waynesboro, Georgia. 10 minutes after his instructor, Lexie Tenhuisen, had seen him, Izzy’s body was found in the bottom of the pool. Despite a nurse attempting CPR, Izzy was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital, Atlanta Black Star reported.
During the lessons, which were held at a private residence, Tenhuisen would not allow parents to be in the swimming area. Many remained in their vehicles as their children participated. It was in her car where Izzy’s mother, Dori Scott, was told about her son’s drowning.
“I’m an emotional rollercoaster,” Dori said in an interview with CBS affiliate News 12. “Some days I’m crying looking at pictures and looking at videos. He was just friendly, very sweet, very smart. He was just starting to learn how to read and write. He just loved adventure. He wasn’t scared of nothing.”
Almost 7 months after Izzy’s passing, Lexie Tenhuisen has finally been charged with involuntary manslaughter, as instructed by Burke County District Attorney’s Jared T. Williams after “months of “dedicated inquiry, investigation, and legal analysis.” Dori Scott celebrated the arrest, stating that her family continues to feel a void in their every day lives. “All three of my kids are different, not having his little, caring energy around is- even our car rides are different,” she explains. “Because everybody feels that void.”