A Slovak couple came to India on vacation, the man died a few hours after checking in Conrad

Hotel Conrad, a five-star hotel in central Bengaluru. | Photo credit: Special arrangement

A holiday in India turned tragic for a Slovakian couple as a man was electrocuted in the swimming pool at the Conrad Hotel, a five-star hotel in central Bengaluru, hours after they checked into the hotel on Friday, October 30.

Silvia Hotuatová (47) told the police that she and her husband Juraj Horvat (45) came to India on October 20 for vacation and checked into the hotel on October 30.

Hours later, around 5:15 p.m., Mr. Horvat went swimming in the hotel pool, his wife told police. She said she rushed to check on him after hearing a loud noise from near the pool, but found him motionless in the water.

“When hotel staff tried to extricate him, they too were injured. Another person noticed electricity in the pool, whereupon hotel staff immediately turned off the power. Matthew Phelan, an American national, attempted to save the victims and perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). The victims were then taken to the hospital by ambulance,” she told police.

Manipal Hospital said four people were brought in on Friday evening. One of them, Mr. Horvat, was reportedly brought to the hospital in cardiac arrest, whereupon the rescue team immediately began CPR and resuscitation. Despite continued efforts and all clinical measures, the patient could not be revived and was pronounced dead.

German national

The second person, a German national in his 40s, was taken to hospital with no signs of life and was pronounced “brought dead”, according to the statement. The German national, identified as Alexander Maximilian Theiss, 57, a Lufthansa Airlines crew member, was reportedly part of the airline’s crew that flew to Bengaluru from Frankfurt and stayed at the hotel during a break in the flight schedule. The incident is said to have traumatized other airline crew members and hotel staff.

Wounded

A statement from Manipal Hospital further said that during the incident, a 26-year-old Conrad employee entered the water in an attempt to save the German national and a second individual. He was subsequently taken to the hospital in a state of shock, and is currently stabilized and under observation.

A US citizen in his 40s, who was also in the pool at the time, realized there was a strong current in the water and managed to swim to safety. He was subsequently brought to the hospital with headaches and in a state of shock. He is currently stabilized and under observation.

Published – 01 Nov 2026 01:19 IST