5-30-07 - A 12-year-old boy died Tuesday afternoon at Camp Hyde near Viola after he was found not breathing in a swimming pool. Aaron Latham was pulled from the waterl around 3pm in southwest Sedgwick County and rushed to the hospital in critical condition.

Rescuers performed CPR on the boy. He died a short time later at a Wichita hospital.

Deputies said they first thought the boy drowned, but they now believe he suffered from a medical condition. Investigators say they'll wait for autopsy results before they determine a cause of death.

Tuesday was the first day of summer camp in Sedgwick County. Camp Hyde is one of several camps across the area that are part of the YMCA system. 200 to 300 children attend Camp Hyde, ages ranging from 5 to 15-years-old.

The YMCA released the following statement on Wednesday:

The unfortunate death of Aaron Latham weighs upon the hearts of everyone at the YMCA today. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Aaron's family, our staff members and Aaron's fellow campers as we remember the joy he brought to Camp Hyde over the past few years. (Aaron attended Camp Hyde beginning in 2004)

Camp activities will continue as scheduled today at Camp Hyde, as well as the other 11 YMCA camp locations. Grief counselors have been made available for campers and staff members at Camp Hyde, and the YMCA will continue providing support as necessary.

Based on current information, the cause of Aaron's death appears to be from a medical condition. The YMCA is cooperating with the Sedgwick County Sheriffs' Department investigation into the matter and updated information will be released as it becomes available.

The YMCA would also like to thank the staff at Camp Hyde for their efforts to take care of Aaron and his fellow campers during yesterday's incident.