A gym owner in São Paulo involved in a swimming pool incident that led to a student's death admitted to deleting messages to staff out of desperation after the incident.
In a tragic incident at the C4 Gym in São Paulo's East Zone, a woman died following a swimming lesson, prompting the police to investigate the circumstances surrounding her death. One of the gym's owners, Celso Bertolo Cruz, claimed that upon learning of the incident, he became 'desperate' and deleted messages he had sent to the pool maintenance employee. These messages reportedly contained instructions regarding chemical treatments in the swimming pool.
Cruz, along with two other partners of C4 Gym, has been charged with eventual homicide. Investigators found that the man responsible for applying chemical products to the pool, Severino José da Silva, lacked proper qualifications for the job and was guided through WhatsApp communications instead. The police are noting that the mishandling of chemicals near the swimming lesson area could have contributed to the unfortunate event, raising serious safety concerns.
As the investigation unfolds, the requests for the arrest of Cruz and the other owners are under judicial consideration. This case raises important issues regarding liability in fitness and wellness establishments and the standards of training for staff handling potentially hazardous materials, highlighting the need for stricter safety protocols to prevent similar incidents in the future.
