Disturbing footage captured the moment a Las Vegas woman slowly drowned in a pool as oblivious bathers walked past her.
Leticia Gonzales Triplett, 58, died on the morning of February 4 at the North Decatur Las Vegas Athletic Club (LVAC) pool.
The tragic episode unfolded after Triplett struggled to swim for about 25 minutes, and was seen on surveillance video holding onto the side of the pool and kicking her legs as she attempted to do several laps.
After his head went underwater as he clung to the side wall, Triplett pulled himself up the pool steps, where he struggled to stay above water by holding onto the railing.
Several people are seen casually walking past her and entering the pool where Triplett was fighting for her life, and continued to do so after the 58-year-old drowned and lay lifeless in the pool.
Disturbing footage captured the moment Las Vegas resident Leticia Triplett, 58, slowly drowned in a pool as oblivious swimmers walked past her.
Triplett, a U.S. Air Force veteran, was remembered by her family as someone who “always remembered birthdays” and “loved video calling her children and grandchildren.”
A lawyer for the LVAC gym said 8NewsNow that Triplett, a U.S. Air Force veteran, was seen walking with crutches before entering the pool.
During his fatal struggle, it is unclear whether Triplett called for help or attention from the other swimmers, who seemed oblivious to his struggle to keep his head above water.
The final moment before Triplett drowned occurred when he was on the steps, as he was moving away from the railing and was unable to get up.
She was found motionless and face down in the pool for about 10 minutes, with several people appearing to look at her body but no one intervening to help her.
She was pulled out of the pool about 20 minutes after she first entered, when a swimmer in an adjacent pool spotted her.
Footage showed Triplett entering the pool on the morning of February 4, and he had reportedly entered the building on crutches.
Triplett appeared to be having difficulty swimming up and down the pool, and was seen holding onto the side wall and kicking her legs as she attempted to swim.
As she struggled, Triplett moved toward the pool steps, where she was seen struggling to keep her head above water as she held onto the railing.
Triplett, who served a tour in Afghanistan in 2008, was said to have “loved” the military during his 24 years of service.
The other swimmer dove in and pulled her to the edge, where several more people helped pull her out.
An LVAC employee performed CPR until paramedics arrived after about five minutes, but Triplett was pronounced dead shortly after.
Oganna Brown, an attorney for LVAC, said Triplett’s death was due to “cardiac arrest” and maintained the gym had never had such an incident in decades.
“In 46 years there has not been a single drowning,” he said.
“This is an anomaly and it was not a direct drowning, but rather a cardiac arrest.”
Triplett tragically drowned after kicking himself away from the railing, and lay lifeless in the pool for about 10 minutes as bystanders walked by.
She was only pulled out of the pool when a swimmer in an adjacent pool spotted her and dove in after her.
However, according to 8NewNow, a subsequent investigation by the Southern Nevada Health District (SNHD) found that there was another near-drowning at LVAC just days after Triplett’s death.
Joel Henriod, an attorney for SNHD, said there were no first responders present at the time of Triplett’s death and argued it should not have been the responsibility of the customers to notice the seizure.
“It’s not your job to be looking,” he said. “Unfortunately, you’re better off alone.”
An obituary for Triplett noted that he enlisted in the U.S. Air Force after graduating from Las Cruces High School in New Mexico and that he “loved” the military during his 24 years of service.
He served on a tour of Afghanistan in 2008 and “received numerous medals and ribbons for his outstanding service,” according to the obituary.
Triplett had one son and five grandchildren, and her family wrote that she “always remembered birthdays and was the first to send a birthday card.”
“She enjoyed spending time at home and watching her favorite television shows. She also loved video calling with her children and grandchildren,” the obituary said.