Happy Valley estate pool closed over suspect lifeguard papers
SCMP · 1 SOURCESabout 17 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
A licensed private swimming pool at 1–5 Ventris Road in Happy Valley was closed with immediate effect after a lifeguard on duty was suspected of presenting fake credentials . The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department said the attendant’s qualifications did not match records of the Hong Kong China Life Saving Society, leaving the pool short of the required number of qualified lifesaving staff . Authorities are now weighing prosecution of the licensee and have referred the suspected fraudulent documents to police .
Key Points
- The closure order involved a private estate pool at 1–5 Ventris Road, an address linked by a check to Winfield Building in Happy Valley .
- FEHD said on Thursday that a lifeguard’s submitted credentials failed verification against Hong Kong China Life Saving Society records .
- Because the worker’s qualifications were in doubt, the pool was deemed not to have enough qualified lifeguards during operating hours .
- The department sent a batch of lifeguard records for verification on Wednesday and received the results a day later before acting .
- FEHD said it may prosecute the pool licensee, informed the Property Management Services Authority, and referred the suspected fake documents to police .
Why It Matters
The case highlights tighter scrutiny of private pool operators after explicit rules introduced since May last year required identity checks, retention of lifeguard awards and logbooks, and signed duty records . FEHD said it conducted about 7,000 inspections at more than 1,400 licensed private pools between January and July this year, underscoring a broader compliance drive over pool safety and staffing .