Man dies after getting sucked into swimming pool sinkhole

TEL AVIV: A 32-year-old man died after getting sucked into a sinkhole that opened up under a swimming pool.

According to detail, the incident happened at a villa that was hosting a company party in the central town of Karmi Yosef, south-east of Tel Aviv, Israel. The victim has been identified as a 32-year-old employee of the company, Klil Kimhi.

Footage from the scene shows swimmers – who were attending the party – clinging to the sides of the swimming pool as the sinkhole swallowed everything. Local media reported that Klil Kimhi fell into the hole, which was 43ft (13 metres) deep.

Rescue teams reportedly spent four hours trying to save him, while using a Go-Pro camera to prevent the pool from collapsing further. Another man narrowly escaped and needed treatment from paramedics at the scene for injuries to his lower body.

Meanwhile, a couple in their 60s – who own the property – was arrested on suspicion of causing death by negligence.

One of the partygoers told Israel’s Channel 12 News that there were about 50 people at the gathering, while another said there were only about six people in the pool when the sink hole opened.

“The water level suddenly started receding and a hole opened up, creating a vortex that swept two people inside,” the unnamed woman told Channel 12 News.

The Times of Israel quoted local media as saying the homeowner had built the pool without planning permission at the site, which had known infrastructure problems.