Two international guests died and two would-be rescuers were hurt at a luxury hotel pool in India, and investigators are still searching for answers A stay at one of India’s most upscale hotels ended in tragedy Friday evening, when two international guests di…
Two international guests died and two would-be rescuers were hurt at a luxury hotel pool in India, and investigators are still searching for answers
A stay at one of India’s most upscale hotels ended in tragedy Friday evening, when two international guests died in the swimming pool and two others were hurt trying to save them.
Police in Bengaluru say they suspect an electrical leak in the water at the Conrad Bengaluru, a Hilton-owned property in the city’s Halasuru neighborhood. The incident unfolded Oct. 30, and the pool has since been sealed off as investigators work to determine exactly what went wrong.
The deaths have rattled a city known worldwide as India’s answer to Silicon Valley, a hub that draws a steady stream of tech workers, airline crews and corporate travelers. Both men who died fit that profile.
Authorities identified the men as Alexander Maximilian Theiss, a 57-year-old German national who worked as a crew member for Lufthansa, and Juraj Horvat, a 45-year-old Slovak national employed as a project manager at IBM, according to The New Indian Express. Both were guests at the hotel when the incident occurred.
All four people involved were rushed to Manipal Hospital. Hospital officials said, as cited by NDTV, that Theiss was already dead on arrival. Horvat died after doctors attempted to resuscitate him.
Two other people were hurt while trying to help. Mathew Desantis, a 41-year-old American guest, and Rahul Tiwari, a 28-year-old pool attendant and lifeguard, both rushed to assist and were injured in the process.
The hospital reported that Desantis was in stable condition after suffering a headache and shock. Tiwari was also stable, though he complained of pain, and doctors planned to examine him for possible fractures, The Times of India reported.
Theiss’ wife has since filed a police complaint. According to NDTV, she alleges the men were shocked as they tried to climb out of the pool and then drowned.
In a statement shared with Fox News Digital, Lufthansa said it was deeply saddened to confirm that one of its crew members had died following an accident during a layover in Bengaluru. The airline extended condolences to the employee’s family, relatives and friends, and said it would not share further details about the circumstances out of respect for the privacy of those affected.
The Conrad Bengaluru also expressed sorrow over the deaths and said it was cooperating with authorities. The hotel added that the cause had not yet been determined, NDTV reported. Fox News Digital reached out to Hilton Worldwide Holdings, the parent company of Conrad Hotels, for comment.
Bengaluru Police Commissioner Seemant Kumar Singh said investigators suspect an electrical leak but are waiting on medical, technical and expert reports before reaching a conclusion, Public TV reported.
A joint technical team is now inspecting the pool’s pump, underwater lighting and earthing lines, according to The Federal. Early inspections have zeroed in on the underwater lighting system as a potential source of the fault, The Times of India reported. Officials have not confirmed the cause.
Adding another layer of uncertainty, the hotel’s website listed the pool as closed for maintenance from Oct. 31 through Nov. 30, according to NDTV. Available reports have not established whether that closure is connected to the incident.
For anyone who travels often, whether for work or a long-awaited getaway, the case is a sobering reminder that hotel amenities are only as safe as the systems behind them. Safety experts warn that tingling or a sudden muscle cramp in the water can signal stray electrical current. Swimmers who feel it are advised to get out without touching metal ladders or rails if possible, and bystanders are urged not to jump in. Instead, they should cut the power and use a nonconductive object, such as a pole or rope, to reach the person.
The tragedy also highlights how quickly instinct can put rescuers in harm’s way. Desantis and Tiwari ran toward danger to help strangers, and both are now recovering.
For now, the families of Theiss and Horvat are left waiting for answers that investigators say will depend on what the technical reports reveal.