Healthcare worker drowns in pool during Facebook livestream

Healthcare worker drowns in pool during Facebook livestream


A young healthcare worker living in Canada drowned in a swimming pool as she livestreamed on Facebook, police said.

The disturbing video shows 24-year-old Hellen Nyabuto struggling to stay afloat after diving into the deep end of a motel pool in Chatsworth. A spokesman for the Ontario Provincial Police on Wednesday confirmed her death to NBC News, which is not considered suspicious at this time.

The clip, posted on Aug. 18, has since been scrubbed from Facebook.

It shows “Nyabuto smiling, swimming and interacting with viewers from the shallow end of the pool,” according to a reporter from the Toronto Star, who viewed the clip. “About three minutes in, Nyabuto moves to the far end of the pool, where she appears to begin struggling frantically. She then moves out of the frame altogether, but can be heard calling for help.”

Healthcare worker drowns in pool during Facebook livestream

The struggle is followed by several hours of silence, with the video remaining live until her body is discovered.

Nyabuto, originally from Kenya, moved to Canada in 2018 and worked at a long-term care center in Collingwood. After her tragic death, her loved ones started a GoFundMe page aimed at raising $50,000 to bring her body back home. She’d been helping to support the rest of her family at the time of her death.

“Hellen Wendy was full of life. With a warm smile and a charming heart,” her younger brother, Enock Nyabuto, wrote. “Everyone who met Wendy had their spirits lifted. She was passionate about her work and she touched many hearts.”

As of Thursday morning, the page has exceeded its fundraising goal, raising more than $56,000.

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