District of Leipzig - Two dead at pool party - defendants: "We are sorry"
It was supposed to be an exuberant Christmas party in the district of Leipzig with special effects such as dry ice in an outdoor pool - shortly afterwards, two men drowned and a third was critically injured. A good four years later, two men have had to answer for negligent homicide and negligent bodily harm in appeal proceedings at Leipzig District Court since Tuesday.
They are deeply shocked by what happened after adding dry ice to the pool and "we are infinitely sorry", the defendants said through their defense lawyers. They had not been aware of the dangers of dry ice.
The 45 and 47-year-old men had poured a block of dry ice into the self-built outdoor pool in Gerichshain on December 21, 2019. This caused carbon dioxide to collect above the surface of the water - the 20 and 39-year-old men fell unconscious and drowned. A third man was rescued.
Just over a year ago, the Grimma district court acquitted the defendants. According to the court, the dangers of using dry ice were not generally known. Furthermore, there had been no warnings on the storage boxes, nor had the seller of the ice provided any tips on how to handle it. The public prosecutor's office and the co-plaintiffs had lodged an appeal against the verdict. It is a matter of determining whether the consequences were foreseeable and avoidable, emphasized senior public prosecutor Ulrich Jakob. He did not consider dropping the case, as the consequences of two deaths were considerable.
The accused organizer of the party stated on Tuesday through his defence lawyer that he had bought the ice for previously slaughtered ducks, but then no longer needed it due to the cold temperatures. In the exuberant mood during the party, it was then decided to pour the dry ice into the pool for fun and because of the spectacular effects. He had already done this at a party in the summer. At that time without consequences.
After a short time, someone noticed that something was wrong and he immediately jumped into the pool, pulled out two unconscious people and began resuscitation. He had not noticed that there was a third person in the pool, otherwise he would have jumped in again. The events still bothered him, also because one of the victims was a good friend. He had also written a letter to the family of the second victim, but had not received a reply. Both defendants cried when their lawyers read out their statements.
The trial will continue on December 18, when a decision could be announced.
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- Despite the tragic incident resulting in two deaths and one critical injury at the pool party in the District of Leipzig, the defendants expressed their deep regret, stating they were unaware of the dangers associated with dry ice.
- The Leipzig District Court is currently reviewing the appeal proceedings, focusing on whether the consequences of using dry ice were foreseeable and avoidable in light of the defendants' negligence.
- The use of dry ice at the pool party in Gerichshain, Saxony, resulted in a harmful buildup of carbon dioxide, causing two men to drown and a third to suffer critical injuries.
- The special effects of dry ice, such as creating a fog-like atmosphere, were a component of the planned Christmas party in Leipzig's district, but the men responsible for its use did not factor in the potential dangers.
- The December 18 trial hearing could yield a decision on the defendants' fates, as they face negligent homicide and bodily harm charges due to their role in the pool party incident.
Source: www.stern.de
