Feb 25, 2008 10:29 AM
Indiana Y Sued Over Sauna Death
LAFAYETTE, IN -- The wife of a man who died last year after being found unconscious in the men's sauna at the Lafayette Family YMCA in Lafayette, IN, is suing the organization, according to the Journal and Courier.
The civil complaint was filed earlier this month and alleges that the Y failed to properly supervise the sauna and that employees may have removed or modified the sauna's timers. The lawsuit asks for unspecified damages, according to the newspaper.
The man, 61, died at a hospital on Jan. 21, 2007, two days after he was found in the sauna. The man’s organs were fatally damaged from his being inside the sauna for an estimated two hours, the family's attorney, Jeff Cooke, told the newspaper.
Don Franklin, the chief executive officer of the Y, told the newspaper that he could not comment on the lawsuit because insurance companies and attorneys were handling the issue.
