The Danish Swimming Federation, Dansk Svømmeunion, announced on October 25th that criminal charges will not be filed in the
drowning death that occurred during an open water swimming competition in August. The local police have ruled an accident when a 52-year-old woman drowned during the Vejle Fjord Svøm. But the tragedy in the 1.4 km open water swim across the Vejle Fjord in Denmark may be an impetus to continue increasing the safety policies and procedures at events sanctioned by Dansk Svømmeunion.
The Dansk Svømmeunion announcement in Danish is below:
Sydøstjyllands Politi har sat punktum i efterforskningen af drukneulykken, der fandt sted i forbindelse med Vejle Fjord Svøm i august måned, hvor en 52-årig kvinde omkom. Politiet konkluderer, at der var tale om en tragisk ulykke og meddeler, at efterforskningen ikke har givet anledning til at placere et ansvar hos arrangørerne. Der bliver således ikke rejst nogen sigtelse i sagen.
Hos Dansk Svømmeunion udtaler direktør Pia Holmen om politiets konklusion:
– Det er klart, at vi, som de ansvarlige arrangører, må være lettede over politiets rapport. Samtidig vil jeg dog betone, at det ikke ændrer ved, at hændelsen har været voldsom for os alle, og at politiets konklusion på ingen måde får os til at tage let på sikkerheden omkring kommende åbent vand-arrangementer. Vi vil fortsat fokusere på mulige tiltag, der eventuelt kan øge sikkerheden yderligere ved vores arrangementer, udtaler direktør i Dansk Svømmeunion, Pia Holmen.
Arrangørerne bag Vejle Fjord Svøm er Svømmeklubben Triton Vejle og Dansk Svømmeunion.
Southern California native, born 1962, is the creator of the WOWSA Awards, Oceans Seven, Openwaterpedia, Citrus Corps, World Open Water Swimming Association, Daily News of Open Water Swimming, Global Open Water Swimming Conference. He is Chief Executive Officer of KAATSU Global and KAATSU Research Institute. Inductee in the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame (Honor Swimmer, Class of 2001) and Ice Swimming Hall of Fame (Honor Contributor - Media, Class of 2019), recipient of the International Swimming Hall of Fame's Poseidon Award (2016), International Swimming Hall of Fame's Irving Davids-Captain Roger Wheeler Memorial Award (2010), USA Swimming's Glen S. Hummer Award (2007, 2010) and Harvard University's John B. Imrie Award (1984). Served on the FINA Technical Open Water Swimming Committee and as Technical Delegate with the 2011 Special Olympics World Summer Games, and 9-time USA Swimming coaching staff. Note: WOWSA only recommends products or services used or recommended by the community. WOWSA does not receive compensation for links or products mentioned on this site or in blog posts. If it does, it will be indicated clearly on that specific post. See WOWSA's privacy policy for more information.