AusLeisure

The death of a Perth father in what media are calling a "freak pool accident" at the City of Stirling's Leisurepark Balga is being investigated.

Reports suggest that 29-year-old Jonathan Massandy may have been underwater for up to eight minutes before he was found by his six-year-old daughter with a broken neck.

Massandy was taken to hospital and put on life support, but, with the family’s permission, it was turned off three days later, after which he died.

Sarah Prijt, the mother of Massandy’s daughter and other child, according to reports, suggested that there was no lifeguard on duty at the facility at the time and advised that the pool stayed open after the incident.

Media reports have focused on the "unexplained circumstances" of Massandy's death, with doctors saying he broke several vertebrae in his neck and did not drown. Whether these were caused by a diving incident, fall or other circumstances is currently not clear.

Commenting on the incident, Jonathan Massandy's father Dominique Massandy told 7News "when they pulled him out, he had no pulse and he had no oxygen in his brain and they couldn't revive him."

Michael Quirk, Director of Community Development for the City of Stirling, which runs the facility, said he could not comment while it was being investigated.

He told media "given the matter is currently under coronial investigation, it is not appropriate for the City to comment on the particulars of the incident at this time.”

Quirk and the Council stated that their thoughts were with the family.

Western Australia has a proud history of minimal drownings in its public swimming pools.

Images show the Leisureplex Balga. Their use is for illustrative purposes only.

Related Articles

7th October 2019 - LIWA Aquatics’ new President outlines future association objectives

29th March 2019 - LIWA Aquatics to mark 50th anniversary

7th December 2018 - Australian Water Safety council addresses drowning among multicultural communities

26th October 2018 - Keep Watch research shows alarming scale of toddler drowning

21st September 2018 - New report reveals significant drowning risk for Western Australia’s migrant community

20th September 2018 - One in four Australian drowning deaths involves people born overseas

12th September 2018 - Drowning Deaths decrease but Life Saving bodies urge against water safety complacency

16th August 2018 - Royal Life Saving WA provides Swim and Survive program for CaLD children 

18th July 2018 - Continuing performance challenges at aquatic facilities in Western Australia

19th March 2018 - Australian-first multicultural uniform guide opens sport to CaLD participants

21st February 2018 - Noise complaint shuts down morning swim classes at Scarborough Beach Pool

22nd January 2018 - Beachside pool opening set to revitalise Scarborough Esplanade

19th July 2017 - New Scarborough Beach Pool to benefit from geothermal heating

18th January 2017 - LIWA Aquatics to benefit from extra funding for pool safety and training

18th August 2016 - Coroner finds 2014 Watermarc drowning death was preventable

9th March 2016 - LIWA Aquatics to present new Watch Around Water ‘Facility of the Year’ Award

6th February 2013 - Green solutions at Balga Leisurepark

23rd May 2011 - Northern Territory Drowning highlights need for Watch Around Water

26th July 2010 - City of Stirling slashes planned training policy charges

11th November 2009 - Drowning Sparks Call for National Water Safety program

---

Support our industry news service
We hope that you value the news that we publish so while you're here can we ask for your support?

As an independent publisher, we need reader support for our industry news gathering so ask that - if you don't already do so - you back us by subscribing to the printed Australasian Leisure Management magazine and/or our online news.