The pool at the beach bar in Paros, where a 4 year old boy drowned on Saturday, August 8, in a tragedy that shocked the island, has now been sealed.
The decision to seal the pool was made by the Municipal Committee, after it emerged that the pool had reportedly been operating without the required license since 2023.
Following the decision, the deputy mayor responsible moved immediately to seal the pool.
Investigation into the drowning
Separately, authorities are continuing to investigate the circumstances of the boy’s death, including security footage from the pool and questions over the owner’s lifeguard certification.
Security cameras captured the moments surrounding the fall of a 4-year-old boy into a swimming pool at a beach bar on the Greek island of Paros, as well as the events that followed, according to reports.
Authorities are examining the footage frame by frame as they investigate what happened and determine whether anyone should be held responsible for the boy’s death.
According to journalist Vassilis Lampropoulos, who reported on the case during MEGA’s main evening news broadcast, the recordings clearly show the boy falling into the pool and, most importantly, what happened afterward.
The footage may also help establish where the boy’s parents were at the critical moment and what attempts were made to rescue him, according to the report.
No lifeguard seen at the pool
The security footage does not appear to show a lifeguard at the pool, according to the report.
The police investigation has also not confirmed the owner’s claim that he was acting as the beach bar’s lifeguard.
Lampropoulos reported that the 69-year-old owner, who is a lifeguard, was at another location. However, the police investigation reportedly found that the lifeguard certification he held was no longer valid.
Authorities also have not been provided with documents from 2023 concerning changes made to the licensing and inspection procedures for the specific pool, according to the report.
Changes to the pool
Authorities have also found that changes were made to the pool, including the installation of a small bridge that limits visibility along its entire length.
An on-site inspection by the relevant public authorities is expected to take place in the coming days. The inspection will involve the Greek National Tourism Organization and the local planning authority.
Lampropoulos also cited a 2017 decision by Greece’s Supreme Court, the Areios Pagos, according to which even when parental negligence is established, responsibility for children at swimming pools rests with the owners and operators of such facilities, as well as with lifeguards, who are responsible for supervision.
