MIAMI BEACH, Fla. – A South Florida boy who was electrocuted by the light in his family's swimming pool was laid to rest Friday.
Calder Sloan was supposed to be spending the first day of his spring break at Legoland, but instead hundreds of family and friends packed Temple Beth Shalom in Miami Beach to pay their respects to the 7-year-old boy.
As the half-sized casket was guided out of the temple, Calder's father gave the wooden box a kiss before it was pushed into the hearse.
Chris Sloan said his son's nickname was "Mr. Awesome." He described him as a joyful, loving child, a soccer freak and a protective big brother.
"At 7 years old he was a champion for other people," Chris Sloan told Local 10. "If his little brother got in trouble, he'd be the first (to say), 'He's just a baby. He's just a baby.' Like he had an emotional moral compass of, I admit it, I've texted while I'm driving and he (would say), 'Daddy, you should not be texting while you're driving. That is not safe.'"
While the family says goodbye, investigators still working to determine how Calder was electrocuted by the light in the family's pool.
After the incident, a contractor found an important ground wire to the pool light wasn't connected and may have sent a full 120 volts to the fixture, instead of just 12. The heavy current appears to have accelerated the steel casing of the light which allowed water to seep into the fixture.
Local 10 also obtained the report from that inspection and it shows the electrician made another discovery that he found troubling; the entire house isn't grounded. The report shows it's missing two copper ground rods. It's unclear who removed the rods, why and how long ago.
News of how Calder died has spread like wildfire. It even made headlines in the United Kingdom. The story has been shared thousands of times on Facebook.
Chris Sloan's Facebook page is filled with messages of condolences and promises to heed his warning to pool owners about having their equipment checked.
The family has established a memorial fund at the Lehrman Community Day School where Calder attended school.
To make a donation to the Calder Jacob Sloan Legacy Fund:
Make checks out to:
Lehrman Community Day School
memo: Calder J Sloan Legacy Fund
Address:
Lehrman Community Day School
727 77th St
Miami Beach, FL 33141
Attn: Jodi Bruce, Head of School