Fatal accident in pool
“It’s as if time had stopped,” says a witness to the drama
In La Chaux-de-Fonds, despite the emotion aroused by the fatal collision between a young diver and a 67-year-old swimmer, the regulars returned to bathe. What are the rules at diving?
Two people jump from the diving (10 meters) from the Mélèzes swimming pool, during its inauguration on Saturday June 21, 2025 in La Chaux-de-Fonds.
KEYSTONE/Jean-Christophe Bott
- The fatal accident at the pool pool upsets the bathers of La Chaux-de-Fonds.
- Witnesses describe a heavy atmosphere after the drama of the diving.
- Neuchâtel police are looking for a ten -year young boy.
- The French -speaking pools redoubled vigilant around the divers.
“There was a complete silence on the lawn, as if the weather stopped. People were in shock. ” Tuesday at the start of the afternoon, Stefania saw the rescuers trying to resuscitate the 67 -year -old man who lost his life After being struck by a young boy who had jumped from a 5-meter diver, at the Chaux-de-Fonds pool pool.
“At the time, I was afraid that it is one of my two boys, because they will often jump from the dive. But they were in the 1.5 meter pool, so I went down to pressure. The largest has seen the cardiac massage, ”she says, still turned upside down, on the lawn, a few meters from the springboard, the highest floor of which reaches 10 meters. The bathing supervisors protected the wounded from prying eyes with linen, before the order was given in the speakers to evacuate the pool.
“He is the age of my son …”
“We understood that it was very serious, but we hoped that man gets out. The children were agitated on our return. They were told that man had died. They asked questions, then moved on. On the other hand, I slept badly and I had a lot of flashes. It is also terrible what happens to this little boy. He is the age of my son… ”Considers Chaux-de-Fonnière, returned to bathe despite the proven shock.
A little further, Vanessa also witnessed the drama the day before. “A big stress” for her and other mothers. After seeing a rescuer plunged to bring the injured man back to the ground, she remembers hearing: “He is a young person who jumped on him.”
“We came back today with a pinch to the heart for this gentleman and the boy. I have the impression that the atmosphere is heavier, ”confesses the resident of the watchmaking city. It was not without a reminder of the safety rules: “My children know that they must absolutely look at that there is no one in the water before diving. They must be vigilant. ” A lifeguard also made a reminder of his son, on the dive this Wednesday.
Impossible to monitor everything
At noon, the places in the shade are taken by storm while the thermometer displays 32 ° C. A mother tells us that she has hesitated to come. “Yesterday at the start of the afternoon, we wanted to enter when the swimming pool was evacuated. My 4 year old daughter was very frustrated. We have a thought for the victim and his family. Anything can happen … it’s really terrible, ”admits this resident of the city.
Ludiwine has made the road from Morteau with four teenagers. She saw the info on the accident before leaving. “We had a doubt if the pool was going to be opened.” Maël, 18, asked her girlfriend Chloé, 19, if she still wanted to come, despite everything. “This is the fault of luck,” he believes. The swimming masters cannot do the police permanently and monitor everything. It is up to people to respect well. ”
The boy, about ten years old and with brown hair, wanted by the police for the investigation presented with his parents to the police? Neuchâtel police had nothing to communicate on Wednesday at the end of the day. Regarding a minor, she will do so, if necessary, on the express request of the prosecution. “It is a drama that touches us, me first,” said «ArcInfo» Thierry Brechbühler on behalf of the Chaux-de-Fonds municipal council, saying “upset”.
Ironically, this Sunday will take place a diving competition in favor of the association The magic cart. The demonstration is maintained and a minute of silence in tribute to the victim could take place, said one person of the Acrobatic Diving Association of Chaux-de-Fonds.
Bathers during the inauguration of the new pool of the Mélèzes.
KEYSTONE/Jean-Christophe Bott
In French -speaking pools, reinforced monitoring
It was not necessary to wait for the tragic leap of La Chaux-de-Fonds for the divers to be considered “accidentogenic” and undoubtedly among the most risky points of the swimming pools. In the canton of Vaud, there is no recent precedent.
Overall, note those responsible for the main public basins, surveillance is strengthened, due to the evolution of society and the rise in frequentations. The umbrella of masters swimming denounces for its part a profession which is increasingly taking on the appearance of peacekeeper and security agent rather than rescuers, noting an increase in conflicts.
The Yverdon municipal swimming pool has three divers that land in a separate pool. A swimmer is permanently at the edge and the diving trains open alternately to prevent the flows from crossing.
“The risks are identified, notes Greg Perrenoud, head of the sports department. These are installations that seem simple and minimalist, but with many risks. Users do not think of everything and sometimes do not look below them, especially for fear of the void. However, they are still significant heights with sometimes rebound plates. We can seriously injure ourselves. “
Lausanne released a reminder to her staff immediately the news of the Chaux-de-Fonds accident arrived. In Bellerive, who expects to break new attendance records – Already a peak at 11,000 in 2023 – Monitoring is already maximum around the huge concrete diver 10 meters high. “Zero risk does not exist, you have to be aware of it. We are betting enormously on risk prevention and the training of swimming masters, who repeat at least three times a month with specialists from the Swiss rescue company. ”
The area at the foot of the divers is strictly delimited, preventing any transit. A master swimmer constantly ensures that each diver wins the right exit scale, to avoid any crossing. Signs recall the rules. Children under 10 are not admitted to 10 meters and, when they are open, a supervisor at the entrance limits access to eight people and another swimmer is located at the top. A similar device exists at the Malley indoor swimming pool, with a supervisor who is converted by circuit.
The Renens swimming pool, 4,500 people today, is known for its vertiginous slides and divers, to which is added a climb wall, and sometimes a “Tarzan” rope. “We focus on prevention and schedules: the 10 meters open when the rest is closed for example. The big risk is especially parents who would encourage children to dive or bad swimmers who are not comfortable. Some are tempted to go back rather than following the designated scale. The swimming masters are particularly attentive to it, ”says John Flores.
In Geneva, some infrastructure benefits from a particular pool only intended for divers. This is the case with the pools of Marignac and Varembé. In Vernets and Lignon, the diving pit is very clearly separated from the pools intended for swimming by lines of water.
At the Lancean Pool of Marignac, two skills constantly monitor the diving tower which offers heights of 10, 7, 3 and 1 meters. The first, below, ensures that three people at the maximum go up at the same time on the stairs. The second, on the 10 -meter platform, activates a barrier to reach the dive only when the basin is empty, thus limiting the risks that a jumper does not turn on another, which would not have had time to get out of the water.
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