The Bellagio fountain erupts during a reopening event, Thursday, June 4, 2020. Casinos in Nevada were allowed to reopen on Thursday for the first time after temporary closures as a precaution against the coronavirus.
Published Friday, July 24, 2020 | 11:19 a.m.
Updated Friday, July 24, 2020 | 3:53 p.m.
A man drowned this morning after he jumped into the Fountains of Bellagio and attempted to swim to the middle, Metro Police said.
A good Samaritan jumped in to try to save the man but was unable to rescue him, police said.
By the time Metro officers and Clark County firefighters arrived, the man had already died, police said. The Clark County Coroner's Office has not yet released his name.
The incident happened about 10:10 a.m. outside the Las Vegas Strip resort.
The man, believed to be a Las Vegas transient in his 40s, was talking to some tourists when he jumped into the fountains, Metro Capt. Dori Koren said.
Police said they did not know what caused the man to drown.
The fountain show, in which water is shot into the air to choreographed music, was not active at the time. It does not start until 3 p.m. on Fridays.
The water ranges from about 4 feet to 13 feet deep.
A spokesman for MGM Resorts International, parent company of the Bellagio, said the property was assisting Metro in its investigation and deferred further comment to police.
Koren said the drowning should serve as an "unfortunate reminder" for people to never jump into any water features on the Strip.
