For the second time in two years, a Gothia Cup player has drowned at the swimming pool in Alingsås.
It's completely incomprehensible, says Malin Fahlén, communications manager at Gothia Cup.
The latest accident is being investigated by the police as suspected manslaughter.
The two deaths are the only ones that have occurred in connection with Gothia Cup during the tournament's nearly 50-year history.
Gothia Cup has no formal collaboration with any swimming pool. Swimming is one of many leisure activities that participants do on their own, often together with teammates.
We are terribly saddened by what has happened. But our responsibility lies around our plans, our accommodations, and activities we ourselves arrange, says Malin Fahlén.
Our participants are like any other tourists.
Meeting with the municipality
Gothia Cup will, however, have evaluation meetings with, among others, the police, healthcare, and Alingsås municipality, which owns Nolhaga park pool.
At the same time, the police are working to clarify what happened at the swimming pool last Friday, when a 16-year-old British Gothia Cup player was found lifeless at the bottom of a pool.
The incident is being investigated as manslaughter, but there is no suspect.
But there are several unclear circumstances, says Johan Lundberg, local police chief in Alingsås.
Interrogations in the UK
The 16-year-old's teammates and coaches are back home in the UK. The police in Alingsås are therefore collaborating with British police.
We need to ask them to help us hold interrogations, says Johan Lundberg.
Last year, a Gothia Cup player also drowned at Nolhaga park pool. The incident is described by the police as an accident.
They are similar incidents, but then we received information from witnesses that allowed us to rule out crime, says Johan Lundberg.
When the 16-year-old was discovered, he was pulled out of the pool by other visitors. After cardiopulmonary resuscitation on the spot, he was taken by ambulance helicopter to Sahlgrenska hospital in Gothenburg.
The family on site
There, the boy was for several days before he passed away.
His family was in Gothenburg, says Malin Fahlén.
We have tried to support, as much as one can in such a difficult situation. We have tried to be good fellow human beings, says Fahlén.
Alingsås municipality has commissioned its own investigation into the fatalities. It is being conducted by a company that performs systematic safety work and is expected to be completed in August.
The staff at the swimming pool are devastated by what has happened.
Several who worked last week were also on duty last year. It's tough for them, says Maria Standar, municipal director in Alingsås.
