St. Paul Apartment Complex Forced To Fix Pool After Near-Drowning Incident

ST. PAUL (WCCO) -- A St. Paul apartment complex is being forced to fix a dangerous, abandoned pool on its property after two young brothers nearly drowned in it on Memorial Day.

According to police reports, 7-year-old Sher Kpor tried to grab a flip-flop from the pool's murky rainwater when he slipped and fell in. His brother, 10-year-old Ma Kpaw, jumped in and tried to save him soon after. The younger brother is still in the hospital.

In a letter to the owner of the Princeton Place Apartments, the city says the property is required to have the issue fixed by a June 3 inspection or they may issue a criminal citation.

Although the owner says he has not received the letter, he did say they inspected the pool Thursday and told him he needs to fix it within the next few weeks.

He told WCCO he plans to fill the pool with dirt and plant grass inside before getting rid of the faulty fence, which he estimates will cost about $10,000. He stated previously that he had planned to fill the pool with concrete and put a playground on top, but the new urgency will require him to move quickly.

The St. Paul Fire Department has also offered to drain any abandoned pools.

Officials from the Minnesota Department of Health said Friday they looked at a list of the 84 pools in St. Paul, and found 44 pools that are part of housing complexes. They say one could be potentially abandoned, and they are investigating that pool.

The Director of the Department of Safety and Inspections, Ricardo Cervantes, detailed the efforts of his department to prevent another tragedy in a letter to the St. Paul City Council. He said his department will quickly respond to all complaints regarding unused pools, and that members of the public should call 651-266-8989 to report any other pools they think may be hazardous.