Chinese boy falls to death from Phuket rooftop pool

[Nereus]

If the reported height of the "glass wall" is correct the idiots that built it should be lined up and SHOT! Like a lot of other things here, the Thai's are very blasé about things like this.
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Chinese boy falls to death from Phuket rooftop pool

https://www.bangkokpost.com/news/genera ... recent_box

PHUKET: A Chinese boy climbed the glass safety fence of a fifth-floor swimming pool, slipped and fell to his death at The Woods Natural Park Resort hotel in Kathu district early on Sunday night.

The 9-year-old, identified as Chen Huanli, was travelling with his parents and relatives, who had all booked into rooms at the hotel in tambon Kamala, police said.

About 6pm on Sunday, Chen was with other children and relatives enjoying the rooftop pool, which was fenced with a 40-centimetre-high glass wall.

The other children climbed up on the wall and jumped into the pool. Chen followed them. As he was climbing his father called out to him not to do so, but the boy slipped and fell off the wall down to the road below, police said.

[europtimiste]

Wrong accusation. Who is to blame? ONLY the stupid boy.
Maybe he was surprised by his father's call and slipped.

[HHTel]

He was 9 years old. The 'safety wall' was 40 cm high and on the 5th floor.

Get real europtimiste. The 'safety wall' obviously was not safe!!

[Blacky]

Not enough information to judge the safety of the pool. If a 40cm glass safety fence is build on top of the pool edge, 40cm plus the depth of the pool (e.g. 140cm + 40cm = 180cm) should be sufficient. Of course without parental supervision, nothing is safe for a child, especially not a pool.

The statement to blame the boy only is just plain stupid...not gonna comment further.

B.

[HHTel]

If indeed the fence is built at the pool edge, that would assume that the pool would be directly adjacent to the outside of the building. A pool usually has a walkway around the pool and if that was the case then it isn't very high.
As said, we don't know the way it was structured. Maybe more info will emerge.

[HHTel]

Another report that conflicts with the Bangkok Post report:

The boy was staying staying on the fifth floor of the hotel with his father and sister, noted Lt Col Somnuek Damkaew of the Kamala Police in his report.

The three had arrived in Phuket on Friday (Feb with 17 other relatives on a week-long large family holiday from Guangdong, he added.

The boy along with seven relatives were playing in the rooftop pool at about 7pm.

“The pool area has a glass wall that is 80 centimetres tall around its perimeter. However, the boy climbed up onto the box covering the pool pump to jump into the pool,” Kamala Police Chief Somkid Boonrat explained to The Phuket News this morning.

The father saw the boy climbing onto the pump covering to jump into the pool and called for him to come down, but the boy slipped and fell to the ground, Col Somnuek noted in his report.

Photos from the scene show that large, flat wooden covering over pool pump has no railing along its terminal side and no railings to prevent people from easily stepping up onto it.
Kamala rescue workers soon arrived to find the boy unconscious and unresponsive, and rushed him to Patong Hospital.

However, doctors confirmed pronounced the boy had died from his injuries at the scene.

“Police officers have investigated the scene and questioned the boy’s father as a witness,” Col Somnuek confirmed in his report.

Chinese consular officials have been informed of the boy’s death, he added.

Police are continuing their investigation into the incident, Col Somneuk noted.

/quote]

Source:https://www.thephuketnews.com/chinese-b ... VG7ifpl.97

[PeteC]

If you look up the hotel there are many photos of the place from various sources, but nothing I could find describing a 5th floor pool. It's a terraced resort and perhaps the pool you do see is elevated, but it's hard to tell.

[Blacky]

If you look up the hotel there are many photos of the place from various sources, but nothing I could find describing a 5th floor pool. It's a terraced resort and perhaps the pool you do see is elevated, but it's hard to tell.

Yep, noticed that too! Neither the resort's website nor any third party booking platforms feature the 5th floor pool. I would think a rooftop pool is something special and be used as a USP.

[HHTel]

It's confusing as the hotel is built on a hill. Pics of the pool show buildings behind it (going uphill) and a pretty high drop on the downside. Not sure I'd call it a 'rooftop pool', although it appears to be on the roof of one section of the hotel.

[europtimiste]

Wall of 40 or 80 or even 120 cm. What does it change if a 9 year old boy without parental supervision climb on a wooden covering and in order to jump over the wall in order to jump into the swimming pool. He tried to do what other children did.

[laphanphon]

I believe all pool rules, at posted at every hotel I've ever been, usually states something like:

"No unsupervised children under X age, allowed without parents" ... Along with usually "no running, jumping, diving"

And seriously, who take their eyes off their kid when they're in a pool.....oh wait.....F'g idiot parents.

Getting the impression, it's an infinity pool, w/ glass, JIC. How do you fall out of a pool ? They can only do so much to predict what some idiot will do, or let their kid do.

Without knowing too much, responsibility falls on the parents.

[Big Boy]

Just my opinion, and I guess, judging by previous comments, I will get a lot of flack. I find those swimming pool notices a complete kop out. However, I do agree parents need to supervise young children also.

The first thing I did was look up the hotel on the Internet, and the pool photos I saw did not even have a wall of any height, but 15 year old photos on booking agency sites are not unusual

In my opinion, there is a joint responsibility. The hotel has responsibility to ensure its facilities are safe and fit for purpose. They also have a responsibility to intervene if unsafe practices are taking place. The parent has a responsibility to supervise children. In this case, short of putting the child on a leash, I wonder what else the parent could have done - kids are fast. The parent shouted, the boy turned and slipped.

I would guess a real investigation would either find the hotel negligent if their facilities were not safe, or if they were, it would be death by misadventure. Here in Thailand, it will probably be deemed suicide - end of investigation

If swimming pool notices are totally legal, and part of the law, maybe we should all put similar notices on the bonnets and rear bumpers of our cars warning other road users to keep 10 yards from us. If we have an accident, the notice means it's the other guy's fault.

[Homer]

The parent has a responsibility to supervise children. In this case, short of putting the child on a leash, I wonder what else the parent could have done - kids are fast. The parent shouted, the boy turned and slipped.

Parents have the responsibility to protect their children. A responsible one would have seen there was no effective safety barrier. That left a responsible parent two choices, IMHO: leave, or literally put the child on a leash.

[HHTel]

The first thing I did was look up the hotel on the Internet, and the pool photos I saw did not even have a wall of any height, but 15 year old photos on booking agency sites are not unusual

You need to look at the images on google. There are definitely fences shown.