Fall River pool reopened to swimmers

FALL RIVER, MASS. (WPRI) -- The Fall River pool where a woman drowned last year is back open to swimmers.

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Pool at Lafayette Park received almost half a million dollars in repairs and renovations over the past year.

Last June, 36-year-old Marie Joseph, a mother of five, was found dead in the pool.  Her body had been underwater for two days without being noticed because the pool's water was so cloudy.

Several staff members were fired in the wake of a report on the drowning, and several structural changes were made to the pool, including the removal of slides and changing the pool's deep end from 12 feet to five and a half feet.  More lifeguards have also been hired, and they'll be clearing and checking the pool bottom every 90 minutes.

"Theres no reason why there should be any concern by the public that we cannot keep them protected," said Mayor Will Flanagan.

The pool opened at 10 a.m.