Ras Al Khaimah: Two lifeguards and their supervisor have been fined and ordered to pay Dh200,000 in blood money after they were found liable for the accidental death of a child who drowned in a hotel pool, a judiciary official told Gulf News.
Prosecution records revealed the lifeguards did not know how to swim.
The Ras Al Khaimah Misdemeanour Court found the European supervisor and the two Asian lifeguards guilty of negligence and failing to carry out their duties in a professional manner.
The female supervisor was fined Dh20,000 and the Asian lifeguards were each fined Dh10,000.
The verdict was issued by Presiding Judge Suhail Omar on Tuesday.
The defendants pleaded guilty.
The case dates back to 2013 when a four-year-old Arab girl died in a hotel pool.
Captain Yousuf Yaqoob, director of the Maritime Rescue Unit at Ras Al Khaimah Police, said a rescue team went to the scene as soon as the incident was reported. They found the child, identified as H.A.R., was already dead. Her body was taken to the forensic section for examination.
Capt Yaqoob urged parents to follow safety signs, pointing out that children left unsupervised near beaches or pools may be risking their lives. He appealed to parents to monitor their children while swimming and to ensure they wear suitable safety gear, such as life jackets.
He said some swimming pools in hotels and resorts were unsuitable for children under ten as they were too deep and no lifeguards were available
He called on hotels and resort managements to provide swimming areas with lifeguards round the clock.
