Man Files Lawsuit Against Lifeguards Who Saved Him From Drowning
A man from Virginia is suing lifeguards who saved him from drowning in a pool. The man attempted to drown himself following a bipolar episode.
By Admin on April 30, 2018
A man from Virginia is suing lifeguards who saved him from drowning in a pool in 2016. The man attempted to drown himself following a bipolar episode.
Mateusz Fijalkowski claimed that he was underwater for two minutes while eight police officers just watched. He also said that officers stopped a lifeguard from jumping into the pool to rescue him.
Police came forward to say that they stood by because Mateusz’s actions put the officers and lifeguard at risk of drowning with him if they stepped in to help.
Authorities were first called to the pool because Mateusz began acting erratically and ripped the wristband off a female patron. He reportedly told her she could not swim in the pool. After the police confronted him, Mateusz jumped into the deep end of the pool and grabbed two vents to hold himself underwater. The Times-Picayune reports he wrote in an email:
“The police allowed me to sink before their eyes. I’m glad that in the end they realized that they shouldn’t let me drown, but I don’t thank them for letting me die, clinically, before their eyes.”
Related: Three Young Kids Prevent Man From Committing Suicide
Police were waiting for him to stop thrashing before jumping in to save him. When Mateusz was taken out of the water, he had no pulse. He spent a week in a hospital and was then taken to the psychiatric unit, where he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder.
His medical bills came out to over $100,000, which is why Mateusz decided to file the lawsuit.
Fairfax County Police Chief Edwin Roessler said in an interview:
“They saved his life – he did not die. You’re going to sue someone for saving your life?”
