To answer the first part of your question, we didn't address that incident in this column on account of you being the first person to ask us! We figure you probably actually meant to reference our Today's News column, where we also omitted to mention it, not on account of any "heat" from Venetian, but because it seemed like a very local story, and a strange one at that, and there wasn't much detail that we could report on at the time. Since then, some updates have been released, so here's the scoop, such as it is.
For those readers who have no clue what we're talking about, the first we heard was on Wednesday, August 26, when the LV R-J reported that Las Vegas Metro, Clark County firefighters, and paramedics from Medic West had all been called to an incident that took place at the Venetian the previous Monday when, at approximately 7:45 a.m., they received a call that there had been what the Fire Dept. categorized as "drowning/diving" accident at the property.
If there was any "white-washing" of what went down, the only evidence of such that we have so far is with regard to the varying reports as to the condition of those involved: While a spokesperson for the property said he'd received reports from the police about two people jumping in to the canal where the gondolas operate, he explained that "everyone was fine"; Metro, however, apparently begged to differ. The cops told the local newspaper that the pair had been hospitalized and were in "critical condition," while the press liaison for Metro said she's been told they had "fairly serious" injuries. This discrepancy may simply have been the result of mixed-up messages, of course, but it is a little strange.
The "main lagoon," where this incident took place, is reportedly 11-12 feet deep; however, we don't know what obstacles/equipment, including lighting fixtures and so on, may be lurking in the depths for an unsuspecting diver to smack their head on. And, looking at the incident objectively, for anyone to decide to dive, volunatarily, into any of the large bodies of standing water that exist on the Strip would seem foolhardy at best, especially in the height of summer, when they can emit a distinctly unpleasant odor. We would have to suspect that some degree of intoxication may have been involved on the part of the divers, who perhaps overestimated how deep the water was, but that's pure speculation on our part. The gondola rides don't commence operating until 10 a.m., so we're pretty sure they weren't struck by a motorized canoe.
That was the last we heard about this odd story until today, when there was an update that included some more background information, courtesy of The Associated Press. According to this latest coverage, two men were found unresponsive in the Venetian canal, having been thrown off the property earlier that morning by hotel security, who were apparently familiar with the duo, who'd "been known to loiter in front of The Venetian on a regular basis." After they'd been evicted, the pair were then reportedly spotted by surveillance jumping the fence to gain access to the canal, into which they either jumped or dived. The report goes on to state that they were struggling to swim before they were pulled out by security guards, who found them unconscious but breathing. One of the men has since been discharged from hospital, according to a spokeswoman with University Medical Center, while the other is said to be in stable condition.
We agree that the whole episode, and its reportage, seem distinctly odd and some things don't quite seem to add up, but for now you know as much as we do. The apparent lack of eye witnesses seems strange, given that it was daylight at the time, although somewhat early for much tourist activity in the vicinity (the Grand Canal Shoppes weren't yet open for business, for example). Perhaps some independent observer will come forward in due course to offer their insights, or perhaps one or both of the victims will have something to say, although as they sound from reports to likely be homeless, they may not have readily available means with which to do so.
Do "negative" incidents in Las Vegas ever get covered up or swept under the carpet ASAP? Yes, of course they do. Does it smell slightly fishy that these two were apparently a familiar nuisance to security? Perhaps. If the course of events took place as reported, does it seem implausible that surveillance failed to spot what they were up to sooner and have security intervene before they hit the water? Absolutely not. On several occasions determined "jumpers" have gotten over the barriers at the top of the Stratosphere Tower and plummeted to their deaths before anyone on staff could intervene to prevent them, and the fencing and barricades are much harder to negotiate up there, while surveillance likely monitors the area more intensely, for the very reason of preventing suicides, than Venetian's surveillance focuses on the canal. Plus, we've personally been in a surveillance room and spotted a stabbing take place on the nightclub dance floor before surveillance did (it was dinner time and they were busy eating their burgers) and the perpetrators were off property before the relevant personnel could coordinate. If the rescued pair from the Venetian canal were unconscious when found, they could have been concussed and/or so intoxicated that even they may not recall what actually happened. But if we hear anything more about this strange story, we'll either post in "Today's News" or in a follow-up article in this column.
