TULSA, Okla — A man is dead after an apparent drowning at Whiteside Park pool early Sunday.
Police say three men in their late 20s got into the pool near 41st and Yale while it was closed. Two of the men went to smoke, and when they returned, they found the other man submerged in the shallow end of the pool.
Officers say the men got him out of the pool and performed CPR but couldn't revive him. He was later identified as 29-year-old Jacob Fechner.
No charges are expected to be filed.
Tulsa Parks Director Anna America says the city chose to close the pool at least until Wednesday to allow staff to process the tragedy and to ensure they are following the necessary guidelines from the health department.
The men got in by climbing the eight foot fence. America says the fence was built to meet code and safety requirements and they don’t plan on making any changes to the fencing to keep people out after hours.
“You can increase security but I don’t think Tulsa wants to see barbed wire on top of a fence surrounding a school,” America said.
There are currently not any cameras at the pool. America adds prior to this incident, officials have been meeting to discuss adding security cameras at various locations, including some pools. However, between playgrounds, facilities, even natural bodies of water like ponds that they are in charge of overseeing, there’s no way of monitoring everything at all times.
“If you had cameras at over 100 locations and you expect someone to monitor them 24/7, that’s just not a realistic thing for the city to do,” she said.
America says this is a good reminder of the dangers of water and that this was simply a poor decision with tragic consequences.
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