A 32-year-old IT company employee drowned during a morning session at the Surat Municipal Corporation-run Varachha swimming pool on Saturday, prompting a police inquiry and questions about safety arrangements at the civic facility.
Vimal Katariya, a resident of Ishwarkrupa Society on LH Road, was attending the 6.30am batch at the pool located in the Varachha Mini Bazaar area. He had reportedly been using the facility regularly for about three months and was familiar with swimming, according to officials cited in the report.
During the session, another swimmer noticed Katariya floating face-down in the water. He was pulled out and given cardiopulmonary resuscitation at the poolside. The 108 ambulance service was called, after which he was taken for medical treatment. Doctors later declared him dead.
Preliminary postmortem findings indicated that drowning was the cause of death. Officials said they were still examining whether Katariya had any underlying medical condition that could have contributed to the incident. The precise circumstances in which he drowned have not yet been established.
Two swimming instructors were present during the batch, which had 41 swimmers, according to SMC officials. The number of swimmers and the supervision arrangements are among the details likely to be examined as the inquiry progresses. The report did not establish whether any safety protocol was breached or whether equipment, staffing or response procedures failed during the incident.
Katariya worked for an IT company in the Lal Darwaja area and is survived by his wife and young daughter. His death has brought attention to the operational responsibility of civic bodies that run public sports and recreation facilities, where supervision, emergency preparedness and clear reporting procedures are central to user safety.
Police have registered a case of unnatural death and begun an inquiry. The investigation is expected to determine how the drowning occurred and whether any lapse in the management or operation of the swimming pool contributed to the death.
