A sad and strange sequence of events was captured on surveillance video at a busy Las Vegas Athletic Club (LVAC) pool in February 2024 when Leticia Triplett, 58, died and floated facedown in the water for 10 minutes before anyone tried to help her.
At first, Triplett, on crutches, entered the pool and held on to the edge, kicking her feet for about half an hour. LVAC video also shows Triplett, an Air Force veteran, stop kicking and struggle for about 10 minutes in the pool, in full view of others, as she seems to experience a medical emergency while trying and failing to get herself out of the water using the handrails in the shallow end.
Triplett continued to fight for her life, but finally, she became motionless and floated facedown before someone checked on her 10 minutes later. Only then did LVAC personnel respond to the incident. There was no lifeguard on duty, and throughout the harrowing experience, many walked by Triplett and even appeared to look in her direction.
Once LVAC staff responded, they administered CPR, as did emergency first responders when they arrived, but Triplett was declared dead at the scene from cardiac arrest. The Clark County Coroner’s Office said Triplett drowned and that it was an accident, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
Why didn’t anyone try and help Leticia Triplett?
The video of Leticia Triplett’s tragic death at an LVAC pool released in the media has been redacted, and Triplett’s face and the faces of others in the pool that day are obscured. It’s also unclear whether Triplett tried to call for help, or made any sound while she struggled. Still, the video shows many others near Triplett, and one person even walks down the stairs into the pool beside her. No one seems to notice what’s going on.
Las Vegas news outlet 8 News Now spoke with UNLV psychology associate professor Stephen Banning. Banning said that America’s individualistic culture may have been one reason why no one came to Triplett’s aid. Or a sense, Banning added, “of not wanting to mess with people,” or get involved with their lives. Banning also noted the bystander effect: If no one else reacted like something was wrong, then everyone might have assumed that was the case.
Pools are places people often visit, Banning continued. They may have been accustomed to the familiar surroundings, lost in their day-to-day life, and didn’t notice, or if they did, someone dying in the pool next to them might have been so out of the ordinary, that they didn’t comprehend what they saw.
“Rather than it being a cold-hearted, calculated or dismissive attitude toward other people, it may be a reflection of wanting people to allow some bodily autonomy and allow them to do what they want in a pool,” Banning said.
Maybe Triplett wasn’t helped, he added, “Not out of malice, but out of habit. It is likely that most of us in this situation would do exactly the same because we would not recognize how distressed a person might be.”
Why were there no lifeguards?
Lack of bystander reaction aside, especially damning for the LVAC, staff never responded to the situation until someone from an adjacent pool finally took action. Athletic club personnel were supposed to monitor pool safety on video, after Southern Nevada Health Department (SNHD) granted LVAC, a private company, a waiver, allowing them to not have lifeguards on duty. SNHD now requires lifeguards on duty after a lawsuit was filed stemming from Leticia Triplett’s death and other incidents.
LVAC attorney Oganna Brown said in court, “In 46 years, there has not been a drowning event,” at an LVAC facility. “This is an anomaly, and this was not a direct drowning event. This was a cardiac arrest,” Brown said. SNHD attorney Joel Henriod responded, “If it’s not their job to be looking,” for safety issues, referring to athletic club staff. With no lifeguards, “Unfortunately, you might as well be alone,” Henriod said.
Referring to Triplett’s death, her sister, Margaret Gonzales, told the Las Vegas Journal-Review, in a statement,“Losing my sister has been incredibly difficult. Watching this play out in the news is like reliving that horrible day again and again. We want this to stop so that we may grieve in peace and privacy.”
Published: Jul 19, 2024 02:42 pm