Man, 34 drowns in swimming pool in Imo
Damian Duruiheoma, Owerri
The Imo State Police command has begun investigation into the death of a 34-year-old man who drowned inside the swimming pool of Victella Hotel at Toronto Junction, Umuoba Uratta in Owerri North council area of the state.
The deceased identified simply as Uche, had a barbing salon at Umugakwo Bus Stop near the hotel.
He was said to have gone into the hotel with two women with undisclosed identity Tuesday evening after a drinking binge and decided to go for a swim.
Our Correspondent learnt that while Uche was fighting for his life inside the swimming pool, none of the girls with him nor the hotel staff noticed his plight until the girls wanted to leave.
“It was when the girls wanted to leave that they approached to talk to him but he was lying motionless inside the swimming pool. So, one of the girls raised an alarm that attracted the hotel staff”, a village source told The Nation.
It could not be ascertained if he could swim. But the source said that an alert was later raised, on discovering that he could have drowned.
Spokesman for the Imo State Police Command, Orlando Ikeoku, who could not confirm the incident, told our correspondent that he would find out and get back to him.
But, as of the time of filing this report, Ikeoku was yet to get back to The Nation as promised.
However, a senior police officer at Uratta Police Division told our correspondent that one of the managers of Victella Hotel reported the matter to the police.
The police source who pleaded anonymity,zone said, “A young man who claimed to be a manager attached to Victella Hotel and Suites at Uratta here, reported at the station that one of his customers, whose name and address is still unknown, was found dead inside the hotel swimming pool upon diving into the water.
“When we received the information, our men went to the scene of crime and recovered the remains of the said man. No traces of injuries were found and no identification nor phone was recovered from him.
“The girl friends that he came with disappeared immediately, with all links of identification of the deceased, possibly for fear of arrest.
“The corpse has since been recovered and deposited at a morgue while investigation continues.”
– Nation
