A relaxing swim at a five-star hotel turned into a deadly nightmare when two international guests were killed in a suspected electrical accident, while an American tourist and hotel employee were injured trying to save them.
The tragedy unfolded around 5:15 p.m. Friday, October 30, at the Conrad Bengaluru, a luxury Hilton hotel in Bengaluru, India, where investigators believe an electrical current may have reached the third-floor swimming pool.
The victims were identified as Alexander Maximilian Theiss, 57, a German national and Lufthansa crew member, and Juraj Horvat, 45, a Slovakian project manager employed by IBM.
Theiss was staying at the hotel during a layover, while Horvat had traveled to India with his wife to celebrate their wedding anniversary. The couple had checked into the hotel just hours before the tragedy.
According to a police complaint filed by Horvat’s wife, Silvia Hotuatova, her husband went swimming shortly after 5 p.m. When she heard screams coming from the pool area, she rushed over and discovered him motionless in the water.
What followed was a frantic rescue effort that put two more lives in danger.
Mathew Desantis, a 41-year-old American tourist staying at the hotel, and Rahul Tiwari, a 28-year-old pool attendant and lifeguard, rushed to help the struggling swimmers. Both were injured during the rescue, with investigators suspecting they may also have encountered an electrical current.
Someone at the scene reportedly warned that electricity could be present in the water, prompting hotel employees to shut off the power supply.
Emergency responders attempted to revive the victims before they were transported to Manipal Hospital. Theiss was pronounced dead on arrival, while Horvat died despite doctors’ efforts to resuscitate him.
Desantis and Tiwari survived. Both were initially hospitalized in stable condition and have since been discharged, according to a November 3 police update.
The shocking deaths have triggered a criminal negligence investigation into the hotel’s management, with Horvat’s wife alleging that inadequate maintenance and safety precautions contributed to the tragedy.
Investigators are now focusing on how electricity could have reached an area where guests were swimming.
Preliminary findings suggest the men may have been shocked while attempting to leave the pool. Police are examining the electrical wiring, underwater lighting, safety systems and metal railings surrounding the water.
In a particularly troubling development, investigators reportedly detected an electrical current near the pool railing even after the power supply had been switched off.
Authorities are investigating whether a reverse flow of electricity or a sudden voltage surge caused the suspected electrical leakage. However, the exact source has not been established.
Police have questioned the hotel’s general manager, technical staff and other employees about maintenance procedures and the condition of the pool’s electrical installations.
The incident has also prompted a formal case against hotel management under Indian law concerning deaths allegedly caused by negligence. No determination of criminal responsibility has been announced.
Conrad Bengaluru expressed condolences to the victims’ families and said it was cooperating fully with investigators.
“We are deeply saddened by the tragic incident,” hotel management said in a statement, emphasizing that the cause remained under investigation.
The hotel has closed its swimming pool, with its website listing the facility as unavailable for maintenance from October 31 through November 30.
Meanwhile, authorities are awaiting technical, forensic and autopsy findings that could establish exactly what happened.
By November 3, postmortem examinations had been completed. Theiss’ remains had been cleared for release to his family, while officials were awaiting consular authorization before releasing Horvat’s body.
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