A spiritual ceremony has taken a tragic turn after a 61-year-old man, Robert Smith, drowned during a live-streamed baptism in the United Kingdom.
Smith, a grandfather of seven and a barber living with Parkinson’s disease, died in October 2023 while being baptised in a children’s paddling pool at a residence in Birmingham. The ceremony, conducted by 48-year-old preacher Cheryl Bartley of Life Changing Ministries, was being broadcast live on Facebook when it abruptly ended.
Emergency responders were called to the scene, but Smith was pronounced dead. A post-mortem examination later confirmed drowning as the cause of death, according to West Midlands Police.
Authorities have since charged Bartley with gross negligence manslaughter, an offence under UK law that carries significant custodial penalties. She is expected to appear before a Birmingham Magistrates’ Court on May 14.
According to reports, Bartley later recorded a video in which she claimed she saw Smith in heaven “dancing with Jesus,” a statement that has drawn public attention amid the ongoing legal proceedings.
Smith, originally from Jamaica, had lived in the United Kingdom for about 25 years and worked as a barber in Brixton, London. Reports indicate that although he had previously been baptised, he chose to undergo the ritual again as part of his renewed commitment as a born-again Christian.
The case has raised questions surrounding safety practices during religious rites and the circumstances leading to the fatal incident, as investigations continue.