CHENNAI: A 40-year-old man drowned in a swimming pool inside corporation-run My Lady Park at Periamet on Sunday evening. Srinivasan of Otteri, a regular visitor to the park, was found unconscious in the pool by his friends and later declared dead at a hospital.
According to police, Srinivasan visited the park along with his friends around 5 pm on Sunday and proceeded to the five-ft-deep swimming pool for a dip. “The group entered the pool one after the other. One of his friends later noticed Srinivasan lying motionless at the bottom of the pool and raised the alarm. One of the swimming instructors then pulled him out of the water,” police sources told TNIE.
Srinivasan was rushed to the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital, but was declared brought dead. His body has been sent for post-mortem to determine the exact cause of death. A case has been registered. Police sources said the inquiry will focus on whether he was under the influence of alcohol or suffered a medical condition that led to the drowning.
A zonal-level corporation official said the swimming pool has been outsourced to a private contractor for maintenance and operations over the past year. “Typically, three to four instructors are present per shift - from 6 am to 10 am and from 3 pm to 7 pm. Initial inquiry suggests that the personnel were on duty at the time of the incident,” the official told TNIE. The official noted that drowning in the pool is uncommon for adults due to the shallow depth of around five feet.
“Though instructors on duty noticed the man collapsing in the water and immediately pulled him out, he was already gasping for breath,” the official said. He added that CCTV cameras are installed in the swimming pool area and footage from the time of the incident will be reviewed as part of the investigation.
“We have sought an explanation from the staff. Based on the video evidence and statements from staff and other visitors, appropriate action will be taken,” the official said.