Infinity Pool Collapse Injures Guests

An infinity pool collapsed and injured a newlywed couple at a luxury Caribbean resort hotel. Reports indicate that the swimming pool collapsed unexpectedly, leading them to be swept out to sea.

Jelizaveta and Gavin Jones of Colindale, London, were on their $13,000 honeymoon at the five-star Sandals Royal Curaçao hotel when the incident occurred. Curaçao police claimed at least 12 people were injured, including the bride, who sustained ‘horrific injuries’ when the walls of the sea-facing pool caved in on Thursday.

Jelizaveta Jones, 29, reportedly sustained ‘horrific injuries’ when the infinity pool at the Sandals Royal Curaçao hotel suddenly collapsed as she was swimming. The bride and her husband Gavin, along with 20 other vacationers in the pool, were washed out to sea.

Mrs Jones, 29, a sales professional for a US software firm, told news sources:

‘I was facing my husband, talking to him in the pool. Then I saw him go under first, then maybe five seconds later, I went. I was stuck beneath the water.’

‘I couldn’t think, I couldn’t breathe. It was all happening very quickly, there was no warning.’

‘I was trying to get up to the surface for some air, but the current was too strong. I couldn’t do anything.’

According to local media, Curaçao police stated after their initial inquiry that the glass cracked because there were too many people in the pool during a party.

‘We’d only been in the resort less than 24 hours and were having a few drinks,’ claimed Mr Jones, 44, a bar and nightclub owner.

‘I was standing with my back to the sea, talking to my wife, when one of the panels in the middle of the pool suddenly vanished.’

‘The weight of the sea carried myself, Elizabeth, and many other individuals about 30 yards down the beach.’

The hotel had just recently opened in June, with one of its primary selling features being a bi-level infinity pool with views of both the mountains and the surrounding coast.

A spokesperson for Sandals Resorts International released a statement: ‘Thankfully, there were only a small number of guests in the pool at the time.

‘Our resort team worked quickly to ensure all were provided with immediate support and medical attention, including an evaluation by local medical professionals and treatment for any guest who required it.

‘There is nothing more important to Sandals Resorts than the safety of our guests and we remain in contact with guests affected should there be any further support required.’

The swimming pool continues to remain closed at the resort for repairs. While the incident remains under investigation, this certainly isn’t an isolated one when it comes to glass panel pools.

Certainly not the first attention-grabbing pool failure we’ve seen this year. The incident was reminiscent of a similar situation that occurred in a 5th-floor rooftop infinity pool in Whampoa a few years back. Officials said that either a design or construction flaw of that swimming pool caused the pool walls to collapse and the glass panels to suddenly give way.