Bengaluru hotel pool turns deadly, 2 foreigners killed

Two foreign guests died after a suspected electric shock in the swimming pool at the five-star Conrad Hotel in the city’s Halasuru (Ulsoor) area on Friday evening. A US national and a hotel pool attendant were hurt while trying to help them.

According to the police, the victims were identified as Alexander Maximilian Theiss, 57, a German national and Lufthansa Airlines crew member, and Juraj Horvat, 45, a Slovak national who worked as a project manager with IBM. Both were staying at the hotel and were in the third-floor swimming pool when the incident happened between 5 and 5:30 p.m. on October 30.

All four were taken to Manipal Hospital. Doctors said Theiss was dead when he arrived. They tried to revive Horvat, but he was later pronounced dead. Dr Mabel Vasnaik, Head of Emergency Medicine at the hospital, confirmed that electrocution was the cause of death.

The injured were Mathew Desantis, 41, an American tourist at the hotel, and Rahul Tiwari, 28, a pool attendant and lifeguard at Conrad. Desantis reportedly felt the electric current in the water and swam to safety. Tiwari jumped in to help the others. Both received treatment and are now safe.

Police have started a case and are investigating how the pool area became electrically charged. A family member of one of the victims has filed a complaint, claiming poor pool maintenance. Hotel staff reportedly turned off the power to the area after noticing the current. Conrad Hotel, which is part of the Hilton group, expressed deep condolences and said it is fully cooperating with investigators. The pool is now closed for maintenance. Lufthansa confirmed its crew member died during a layover in the city.

The incident has raised concerns about electrical safety in hotel facilities as authorities continue their investigation.