Dubai: Two lifeguards have been accused of being responsible for a drowning incident that led to the death of a man, whose brother claimed that he didn’t know how to swim.

The 29-year-old Indian victim [who drowned] went to spend a day of swimming and entertainment along with his brother and his family at Al Memzar Beach Park in August 2012.

The victim was said to have jumped in to the four-metre-deep adults’ pool, drowned and landed in the middle of the swimming pool’s bottom breathless and motionless.

The park was said to be fully crammed considering it was a Friday when a swimmer noticed the victim’s body in the bottom of the pool and warned the Filipino lifeguards, 43-year-old R.A. and 31-year-old A.D.

Prosecution records said the lifeguard dived behind the victim and lifted him up from the bottom.

It was discovered that he had died and attempts to resuscitate him went in vain.

Prosecutors accused the defendant, R.A. and A.D., of negligence and failing to perform their lifeguarding duties which led to the man’s death.

The Filipino suspects pleaded not guilty and firmly denied the accusation of being responsible for the Indian’s drowning and death when they appeared before the Dubai Misdemeanour Court on Thursday.

According to the charges sheet, the defendants were accused of failing to carry out their duties.

The suspects contended that the pool was crammed on that day, and asked the judge to adjourn the court until they hire a lawyer to defend them.

The victim’s elder brother claimed during prosecution questioning: “My children, brother and I went to spend a day at the pool around 3pm. Few hours later; I noticed a group of people surrounding the pool. When I went to check what happened, I realised that my brother had drowned and lifeguards were trying to resuscitate him. When attempts to recuperate him failed, the lifeguards [R.A. and A.D.] called an ambulance. My brother was rushed to hospital and when we reached there, the doctor informed me that he died. I reported the matter to the police.”

When asked by the investigating prosecutor, the claimant confirmed that his brother did not know how to swim. He claimed that he spotted first-aid equipment available near the poolside.

Meanwhile, the lifeguards claimed to prosecutors that they were not responsible for the man’s drowning.

“The park accommodates around 150-200 swimmers. I was seated at the rescue tower watching out the swimmers meanwhile A.D. was checking around the park’s three pools. Suddenly a man came up to me and said he spotted the victim at the bottom of the pool drowned and motionless. A.D. and I rushed to bring the victim out of the pool and save him. I dived in to the bottom and pulled his body outside the pool… we tried to resuscitate him and then he was rushed to hospital. Later we were told that he died,” claimed R.A.

A.D. claimed to prosecutors that the victim’s body could not be seen easily because it was placed on a dark drawing that was painted on the bottom as a decoration.

The trial continues.