We feared the worst when the pieces of concrete fell to the bottom of the basin of the Saint-Georges swimming pool. Even small, this debris could have had very serious consequences if it had fallen on the heads of children learning to swim below. Fortunately, no one was injured this Tuesday, October 18 in the water of the very beautiful swimming pool in Rennes, classified as a historical monument. But there are many questions since the incident. Inaugurated in 1926, is the centenary collapsing? The municipality said no. To prove it, she had reopened the equipment after six days after a quick diagnosis.
The reason is quite simple. If part of the roof fell in the water, it was because someone had ventured under the ceiling of the swimming pool to clean it. “We heard a huge noise and pieces fell from the roof. But it didn’t fall by itself. It’s because an agent was up there cleaning up. They swore nobody was there, but I saw him. We wanted to hide it from us, ”laments a witness to the scene. When questioned, the municipality confirms that an agent had climbed to clean the heights of the building. “While performing this task, he dropped something and moved a slat from the false ceiling where there were some shards of concrete. She partly unhooked and that’s when the debris fell, ”says the municipality.
He wanted to remove dead pigeons
The agent’s mission was to clean the ceiling of the classified swimming pool and in particular to remove the dead pigeons which sometimes remain stuck on the slats. However, one can wonder about the timing of such an operation, carried out while a primary class was taking a swimming lesson.
“Some pieces were the size of a hand. It could have been dramatic, ”regrets the witness. And where did these pieces of concrete come from? From the ceiling, obviously. Last year, an in-depth study was conducted by a design office to assess the cost of the renovation. The verdict was severe: 25 million euros of work will be necessary to renovate this jewel of heritage decorated by the family of mosaicists Odorico. The equivalent of the price of a new swimming pool.