New Orleans city pool closed for 2 days because of threat against female lifeguards

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The city pool at Edith Sampson Playground in the Desire neighborhood was open for less than a day before a threat of violence against female lifeguards prompted officials to shut it down temporarily.

City officials said a group of swimmers repeatedly broke the rules by diving into the water head-first on Friday, the day the New Orleans Recreation Development Commission's 15 public pools opened for the summer.

The lifeguards eventually told the group to leave, city spokeswoman Erin Burns said. As they left, she said, at least one "threatened to come back and harm the lifeguards."

People who were at the pool that day said the threatened lifeguards were young women. Those breaking the rules were young men, they said.

The pool, in the 3200 block of Treasure Street, was closed after that for "the safety of both staff and patrons" and didn't reopen until Tuesday, Burns said. That meant the pool was shut down Saturday and Monday since it is normally closed on Sundays.

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