A woman died Friday, March 22 after being found unresponsive in the pool at Western Washington University’s Wade King Student Recreation Center.
University police and paramedics were called to the recreation center around noon Friday. A swimmer began experiencing distress at the side of the pool and was pulled out, Western’s Assistant Director of Communications John Thompson said in an email. She became unresponsive as paramedics were on their way, and lifeguards and staff were administering CPR when they arrived. Paramedics could not revive her.
The woman was not a student, Thompson said in an email Friday afternoon. Her identity will be withheld until her next of kin are notified, according to the advisory. The pool is closed for the rest of the day, according to the advisory.
In 2019, a 23-year-old man was found non-responsive in the hot tub of the recreation center. He died at the scene. Later, the Whatcom County medical examiner ruled out suspicious circumstances and said the death was of natural causes, The Front reported.
