Manizha Azimi, an Afghan refugee, was found unresponsive in an outdoor public swimming pool in Northeast Portland. (gofundme)
(Tribune News Service) — Farahuddin and Farzana Azimi sought “safety and hope” when they fled Afghanistan two years ago with their five children and made a new home in Oregon.
The couple’s dream was shattered Friday night when their 12-year-old daughter, Manizha Azimi, was found unresponsive in an outdoor public swimming pool in Northeast Portland.
“Manizha was a bright shining star in our lives, known for her sense of humor, sensitivity, leadership, and her exceptional academic achievements,” the girl’s family wrote in a tribute shared by the Afghan Support Network, a nonprofit formed to help Afghan refugees in the Portland region. “She aspired to become a doctor and had a strong determination to make a positive impact on the world.”
The Azimi family said Manizha left behind a legacy of “warmth, kindness and her determination that will be forever cherished by all who knew her.” She lived in Portland with her parents, sister and three younger brothers.
Manizha was spotted unresponsive in the water at Montavilla Pool on Northeast Glisan Street and 82nd Avenue, just before the pool closed to the public for the night. Lifeguards performed rescue breathing and CPR before paramedics arrived to take over, according to a 911 call. Paramedics then rushed her to the hospital where she died, according to Portland Parks & Recreation.
Parks director Adena Long said her staff will partner with other city officials to investigate “what we can learn from this tragic incident.”
Manizha’s death marked the city’s first fatal swimming accident at a city-run aquatic center in nearly four decades.
Yahya Haqiqi, executive director of the Afghan Support Network, said the Azimi family is requesting privacy while they grieve.
The Azimi family is among hundreds of thousands of people who fled Afghanistan in the past two years after the United States completed its military withdrawal from the country after two decades and the Taliban took over the government.
“Any time there is a loss it has a big impact, and it can be hard when you’re going through an already traumatic time,” Haqiqi said. “This loss has been very traumatic for our community, and every time you have a loss it increases the trauma.”
A fundraiser for the Azimi family’s funeral expenses had raised almost $8,500 by Thursday afternoon.
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