Drowning of recent Greater Johnstown graduate confirmed accidental

Russ O'Reilly, The Tribune-Democrat, Johnstown, Pa.
·1 min read

JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – After completing an autopsy Saturday, Cambria County Coroner Jeff Lees determined there was no medical emergency that preceded the drowning death of 18-year-old Tahjmir Seeney.

Seeney, of Johnstown, died two days after being pulled from a hotel swimming pool May 26.

"An autopsy was performed today, which confirmed there was no pre-existing medical event that occurred prior to him going into the pool," Lees said Saturday. "Therefore, the cause of death is drowning, and the manner of death is accidental."

Seeney was at the Holiday Inn Johnstown-Downtown May 26 with relatives who traveled from out of town to celebrate his graduation from Greater Johnstown High School.

The family was swimming together when a relative noticed Seeney descended to the bottom of the pool.

A bystander performed CPR before firefighters stepped in and took over, and Seeney was taken to Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center in Johnstown.

Greater Johnstown School District Superintendent Amy Arcurio has said the entire district was heartbroken.

She described Seeney as a great young man with a bright future ahead of him. He completed his coursework and training in the school’s welding program and already had a job lined up.

“He was loved by so many,” Arcurio previously told The Tribune-Democrat. “His family is in our hearts and prayers as we give them as much support as we possibly can today ... in this tragic time.”