Surat: A 32-year-old IT company employee drowned at the Surat Municipal Corporation-run swimming pool at Varachha Mini Bazaar on Saturday morning, prompting questions over safety arrangements at the civic facility and triggering a police inquiry.Vimal Katariya, 32, a resident of Ishwarkrupa Society on LH Road, died during his routine swimming session. He worked for an IT company in the Lal Darwaja area and is survived by his wife and young daughter.According to SMC officials, Katariya had been visiting the pool regularly for the past three months. He joined the 6.30am batch on Saturday. During the session, another swimmer spotted him floating face-down in the water.He was pulled out of the pool and CPR was administered at the poolside. The 108 ambulance service was called and he was taken for medical treatment, where doctors declared him dead.Preliminary postmortem findings indicated death due to drowning. Officials said they are yet to verify whether he had any underlying medical condition. They added that the police investigation will determine the circumstances that led to the incident.Two swimming instructors were present during the batch, which had 41 swimmers. Officials said Katariya knew how to swim. The circumstances under which he drowned remain unclear.Police registered a case of unnatural death and started an inquiry.
