Body found in public pool 2 days after victim drowned

FALL RIVER (FOX25 / MyFoxBoston.com) - The body of a Fall River woman was discovered floating in a state run pool late Tuesday night, two days after she apparently drowned in that same pool.

Police say lifeguards were on duty and people were swimming in the Veterans Memorial pool at Lafayette Park Sunday, Monday and Tuesday and it appears no one noticed the dead body.

Investigators identified the body as 36-year-old Marie Joseph.

Police say Joseph was watching her 9-year-old neighbor at the pool on Sunday when she apparently had an accident sliding down a waterside.

Family friends tell FOX25 the little boy told lifeguards that she did not come up from above water but no action was taken.

The Bristol County DA would not confirm if the woman’s body was in the water for two days, but did call the set of circumstances "unbelievable" and said the death is still under investigation.

Fall River Mayor William Flanagan says health inspectors visited the pool on Monday and Tuesday and inspected the facilities and apparently did not see a body either. Those inspectors have been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of an investigation.

The Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR), who runs the pool, has since closed over 20 of their deepwater pools until further notice.

DCR has also placed the entire staff of the pool on administrative leave.

According to friends, Marie Joseph has left behind five children and lived in an apartment a mile from the pool.