Earlier this year, a woman drowned at the Las Vegas Athletic Club, prompting a temporary pool closure and a lawsuit involving the club and the Southern Nevada Health District. Now, LVAC is facing backlash over a second victim at the club.
Earlier this year, a woman drowned at the Las Vegas Athletic Club, prompting a temporary pool closure and a lawsuit involving the club and the Southern Nevada Health District. Now, LVAC is facing backlash over a second victim at the club.
On October 6, a man was found face down in the LVAC’s hot tub. Witnesses and lifeguards pulled him from the water and began life-saving measures. When first responders arrived shortly after, the man was transported to a local hospital where he recovered from the near drowning.
Members reported seeing the man in the hot tub prior to the drowning. According to 8 News Now, members, “witnessed a man groaning in a hot tub,” and they said, “’’I figured he was in pain and trying to hot tub it out. I ignored him for about 10 minutes and got focused on myself.’”
Related: Disturbing Surveillance Video of Woman Drowning at Athletic Club Released Amid Lawsuit
The same member went on to say, “’I looked over and noticed that same guy had his head underwater as another guy watched he noticed too. About five seconds passed and he didn’t come up, so I approached him and tapped on the shoulder, and he was unresponsive.’”
At the time of the incident, the SNHD determined multiple health hazards surrounding the hot tub like low pH levels, high temperatures and low chlorine levels. As a result of these hazards, the SNHD closed the hot tub and issued $1,778 in fines to the LVAC. Two days later, the LVAC reopened the hot tub after it passed further inspection.
A lifeguard was not present in the pool area when the drowning initially occurred. However, the LVAC is now required to have lifeguards on staff following the previous drowning incident this year. In the past, LVAC has relied on a lifeguard waiver that allowed them to forgo lifeguards since the facility was a private club. As a result of their court battle with the SNHD, the club now employs lifeguards, and the LVAC’s new lifeguard ‘plan’ was approved only six days before this most recent drowning incident.
