XENIA — The death of a 67-year-old man who was found at the bottom of a Xenia YMCA swimming pool was preventable, according to the family's lawyer.
Vijay Kumar Goenka was swimming at the Progress Drive YMCA Saturday morning when he was found at the bottom of the pool.
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YMCA allowed the family’s lawyer, Michael Wright, to view surveillance video from the pool Thursday morning.
“It’s clear that this should not have occurred,” said Wright. “I saw the father struggling, going under water multiple times and it taking a very long period of time for them to come to his aid.”
The Dayton YMCA has launched an internal investigation, said Dale Brunner, president and CEO of the YMCA of Greater Dayton.
“The safety and security of all members, families, visitors, and volunteers is the highest priority for all employees at the Xenia YMCA and at all YMCA’s of Greater Dayton,” said Brunner. “The YMCA places great attention and energy on providing communities with a safe environment, and we will do our utmost to protect everyone at our facilities.”
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Vijay Goenka was pulled out of the pool and was receiving CPR when an employee called 911, according to police and dispatch records.
Goenka lived in India but was visiting family in Xenia for the summer. He died early Tuesday morning at Kettering Medical Center.
Wright believes there were not enough lifeguards on duty for the amount of people that were swimming.
“There were two pools and it looked like one lifeguard was lifeguarding two pools,” he said.
Ajay Goenka, Goenka’s son, said YMCA officials told him that four lifeguards were supposed to be on duty at the time. Two were with children at a side pool and one was stepping away from the adult pool while another was supposed to take over, he said.
At one point, when Vijay Goenka went under water, he was in area by himself, Wright said.
“It looks like they should’ve seen him,” he said. “This was a tragedy that should’ve been able to have been prevented.”
Goenka was under water for nearly five minutes, his son said YMCA officials told him.
“It’s just very hard to believe that a man is struggling and nobody is watching him,” Ajay Goenka said. “He goes below the water for four and a half minutes and nobody is watching him.”
Wright was not allowed to record the video, but said he will review it in more detail before determining what’s next for the Goenka family.
Ajay Goenka said he hopes an investigation will show how this could happen and how it can be prevented in the future.
“What we are going through, no other family should do the same,” he said.
“We have to make sure that there are sufficient lifeguards in place, that there’s sufficient training and that they do their job,” Wright said.
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As the family waits for answers, they’re also preparing to say goodbye.
“We are preparing for the funeral,” Goenka said. “Trying to get over the shock that our family has gone through and praying that we find the answers.”
