Man, 73, drowned in condo pool

The drowning of a 73-year-old man Sunday morning in a condo pool in Ottawa’s east end has been ruled accidental.

The man, whose name had not been released, was a resident in a condo building on Bathgate Drive. As part of his daily routine, he often went to the pool and walked into the shallow end, but on Sunday he ended up in the deep end. There was no one else in the pool at the time, said Ottawa police Det. Peter Van Der Zander. Police concluded the death was accidental after watching a surveillance camera video.

The man was known to have health and mobility issues, and family members had advised him to swim with aids, but he had declined to use them, Van Der Zander said. As a condo, the building is under no obligation to have a lifeguard on duty, he said. The coroner has recommended safety upgrades, and will also review the video.