Ibrahim Al-Alawi Okaz/Saudi Gazette JEDDAH — A family has filed a court case for negligence against a resort in Jeddah following the drowning death of a four-year-old boy in the swimming pool. The child had ventured into the deep end and drowned, while the life guard was away watching a soccer game. The resort denied the responsibility, as the rent contract specifies that children should not be left unattended. Investigations determined the lack of safety measures at the resort, and the family's negligence. Saeed Sarhan, a spokesman for the Civil Defense, said it conducts periodical inspection rounds of the resorts. Many resorts were closed, he said, for the absence of safety measures. Swimming pools should be fenced, he added, to prevent children from drowning. Additionally, life guards should be available around swimming pools. He pointed out that the Civil Defense faces difficulties in monitoring unlicensed resorts. The responsibility of children's welfare lies with their guardians also, and not only with the resorts.
