Death of woman who drowned at pool party ruled accidental by inquest

Rainko Tai. Photo via Facebook.
Rainko Tai. Photo via Facebook.

The mother of a 21-year-old woman who died at a pool party three years ago burst into tears after the coroner’s court ruled her death an accident yesterday.

Rainko Tai was one of 118 guests at a private function in 2014 held at the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club in Causeway Bay.

Police treated the incident as a drowning, but Tai’s family members at the time demanded an investigation into why it took so long for her body to be found, resulting in a four-day inquest that began this week.

The foreman of a five-member jury said they found Tai’s condition consistent with injuries sustained from drowning, saying: “It was under quiet circumstances and the influence of alcohol that she accidentally drowned without any screaming or struggle.”

According to the Standard, coroner Ko Wai-hung said: “I understand that the court might not be able to get to the bottom of the truth at the time of Rainko’s death. It tried its best to find the most answers it could.”

Tai was attending a party that was believed to have been organized by the Hong Kong Dragons Australian Rules Football Club on Aug. 16, 2014. It was billed as offering unlimited “free-flowing alcohol.”

A lifeguard found her body at the deep end of the pool around eight minutes after the party ended at 1am, and the court heard from witnesses that Tai — who could not swim well — was separated from friends and was last seen holding on to the side of the pool while in the shallow end about 20 minutes before her body was discovered.

After her body was found, lifeguards tried to resuscitate Tai who was later rushed to Ruttonjee Hospital. She later died of multiple organ failure, and a consultant at the hospital’s intensive care unit told the court that she had a high blood-alcohol level.

The court heard that the music at the event was loud, making communication between the lifeguards and guests difficult. Guests also ignored warnings from lifeguards not to go into the water after drinking alcohol, and the lifeguard who found her body had trouble using the automated external defibrillator, or an AED, because its instructions were in English and not Chinese, according to testimony.

The jury took 90 minutes to reach their verdict. They also recommended that the yacht club post signs warning against swimming under the influence of alcohol, provide annual first-aid training and drills for poolside staff and ensure everyone knows where first-aid apparatus are placed, install CCTV cameras with zoom functions, and provide walkie-talkies for staff on duty.

When asked by journalists if they felt the verdict was fair, Tai’s father said: “There isn’t much we wish to say.”

The family has also filed civil lawsuits against the yacht club and the party hosts.



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