A 71 year old woman understood to be a senior executive at a major global social media platform has died after drowning at a residential swimming pool in Fo Tan on Monday afternoon.
The woman was swimming at Ville De Cascade on Lai Wo Lane at about 5pm on August 31 when she reportedly lost consciousness in the water. A lifeguard pulled her from the pool and began cardiopulmonary resuscitation while other swimmers contacted emergency services.
She was taken to Prince of Wales Hospital while unconscious. Despite efforts to revive her, she was later pronounced dead.
Woman lost consciousness while swimming
The incident happened at the residential development of Ville De Cascade in Fo Tan, Sha Tin, shortly before the evening hours on Monday.
According to information from the case, the woman had been swimming in the residential pool when she suddenly lost consciousness. The incident prompted an immediate response from people at the pool.
A lifeguard retrieved the woman from the water and started CPR. Other swimmers called emergency services, allowing medical assistance to be requested while resuscitation efforts continued.
CPR is used when a person is unresponsive and not breathing normally. It involves chest compressions intended to maintain blood circulation until professional medical help arrives.
Emergency personnel subsequently took the woman to Prince of Wales Hospital. She remained unconscious when she was transported to the hospital.
She was later pronounced dead.
Police find no suspicious circumstances
Police said their initial investigation found no suspicious circumstances surrounding the woman’s death.
The finding means officers have not identified anything at this stage to suggest that another person was responsible for the incident. Police have not indicated that the woman was attacked or that there was evidence of a criminal act.
The exact cause of death, however, has not yet been confirmed.
Although the woman was reportedly found unconscious in the swimming pool, investigators still need to establish the precise circumstances that led to her loss of consciousness and subsequent death.
The case has therefore been referred to the Sha Tin District Miscellaneous Enquiries Sub unit for further investigation.
Investigation to establish cause of death
The police investigation is expected to focus on the circumstances surrounding the incident and the events immediately before the woman lost consciousness in the pool.
At present, the available information does not establish why she became unconscious. Police have not disclosed whether she had suffered any known medical problem before the incident, and no cause of death has been officially announced.
The distinction is important because drowning describes what happened in the water but does not necessarily establish the underlying medical reason a person became incapacitated.
Investigators will assess the available evidence as part of their follow up work. The woman’s condition when she was removed from the pool, the emergency response and medical findings will all form part of the investigation into her death.
Lifeguard and swimmers responded
The response from people at the swimming pool began before emergency services arrived.
The lifeguard pulled the woman from the water and started CPR, while fellow swimmers called for an ambulance. The incident was followed by her transfer to Prince of Wales Hospital in an unconscious state.
The immediate response was important because a person who loses consciousness in a swimming pool can quickly become unresponsive. The actions of people nearby can provide assistance while professional medical teams are on their way.
In this case, the lifeguard began resuscitation efforts after removing the woman from the water.
Police have not indicated that anyone else at the pool was injured in connection with the incident.
Executive reportedly worked for global social media company
The woman was understood to have been a senior executive at a major global social media platform.
No further details about her professional role have been released in the information available about the case. Police have also not publicly identified her by name.
Her reported position may draw attention to the death beyond the residential development where the incident occurred. Authorities, however, have so far focused their statements on the pool incident and the investigation into her death.
There is currently no information suggesting that her professional position was connected to the incident.
Case remains under investigation
The death was reported after the woman was found unconscious in the swimming pool at Ville De Cascade on Monday afternoon.
Police said there were no suspicious circumstances in their initial investigation, but the exact cause of death remains to be confirmed. The case has been passed to the Sha Tin District Miscellaneous Enquiries Sub unit, which will conduct further enquiries.
The woman was 71 years old and had been swimming at the residential pool when she lost consciousness. A lifeguard removed her from the water and carried out CPR before emergency services took her to Prince of Wales Hospital.
She was later pronounced dead.
Further findings from the investigation and medical examination will determine the official cause of death. Until those findings are established, police have not attributed the death to any specific medical condition or other cause.