Two little girls, named as Ni Komang Vika Putri Lestari, 11, and Viorentin Suipimay Liani Agustina, 9, died after swimming in the pool of Hotel Bintang Laut Luxindo in the village of Antap, Tabanan, yesterday afternoon.
According to a report in Bali Post, the pair had just finished studying at the Bintang Laut after-school club together with their classmate, ‘Elsi,’ whose father worked at the hotel. Due to the particularly hot weather, the two victims decided to take a dip, despite the warnings of their friend Elsi who argued that the pool was too deep at 2.4 meters.
As the two played in the pool, their friend sat poolside, engrossed in a cell phone. Suspicious that she hadn’t heard anything for some time, Elsi looked up, but her classmates were already in trouble.
Worried that the two were drowning, Elsi called for her brother, identified as ‘Jimmy,’ who jumped in and tried to rescue the swimmers. Exhausted, Jimmy asked an onlooker, named as I Made Adianta, 54, to help drag the victims to the lip of the pool, but sadly both were already dead.
The incident was immediately reported to Village Head I Wayan Suasta, who in turn contacted Selemadeg Police. Selemadeg Police Commissioner, I Nyoman Budi Astawa confirmed that the accident had happened because the girls had insisted on playing in the pool despite not being competent swimmers.
