Gym management walks free in swimming pool death trial

The High Appeals Court has cancelled the ruling issued by a lower court asking a gym management to compensate for the death of an individual who died within the facility.

The lower court had asked the gym management to pay BD40,000 in compensation to the family of the deceased. The man is said to have died while swimming in the pool attached to the gym facility and the family alleged that the death happened because safety measures were not followed at the facility.

The family also argued that a lifeguard should have been appointed at the facility to handle such cases. Lawyer Islam Ghunaim, who appeared for the gym management, at the appeals court, argued that the allegations were baseless. “The victim used the facility during Ramadan and that too Iftar time.

It would have been known to him that there was none to help him in case of any emergency. “He himself should be held responsible for the consequences,” the lawyer argued. “The deceased was a longtime customer at the gym and he knew the working timings of the staff there. It means he was well aware that there wasn’t anyone there to help him if anything bad happened.”

With regard to the appointment of a lifeguard, the lawyer said the swimming pool only had a depth of 1.3 metres. “No lifeguard was needed for such a small pool.” The court accepted the lawyer’s argument. It stated that the video footage showed that lights were switched off at the facility, which meant he was using it when there were no staff in attendance.