23-year-old Paul Rayudu was swimming with his girlfriend, Virajitha Kelangi, in a public swimming pool on a hot February day in 2014 when the IT student from India got into trouble in deep water.
Virajitha was rescued by other swimmers when she was floating face down, but Paul was found at the bottom of the pool. He couldn’t be revived despite CPR and he died six days after the incident.
The Coroner also criticised Victoria’s lifeguard regulations, slamming the low number of lifeguards at the public pools.
The Coroner found the Paul and Virajitha couldn’t swim and the pool wasn’t adequately supervised.
"I doubt they had a real appreciation of the dangers of getting out of their depth," she said.
Coronor Jamieson found they were there to use the waterslide and went into the shallow side of the pool, where the waterslide was closed and they found themselves over a steep drop-off after lifeguards removed dividing ropes from the crowded pool.
"I am satisfied that there is clear and cogent evidence that Paul Rayudu's death could have been prevented."
Though the inquest did not find a clear reason for Paul’s drowning, but the coroner said his death was avoidable.
"I am satisfied that there is clear and cogent evidence that Paul Rayudu's death could have been prevented," she said.
"No-one should drown at a public swimming pool."
The inquest heard there were four lifeguards on duty to supervise about 250 people at the pool, who were themselves not adequately supervised and they were distracted.
The managers of the WaterMarc pool have apologised to Mr Rayudu's family.
