A 29-year-old man died as a result of a drowning in a Surfers Paradise backpackers pool

A French tourist woken by screams has revealed why he believes a 29-year-old man ended up unconscious in a backpackers pool. LATEST

A drowning at a resort on the Gold Coast Hwy, in Surfers Paradise. Picture: NIGEL HALLETT

A French tourist woken by screams when a man was dragged unconscious from a Gold Coast backpackers resort pool believes he was trying to “hold his breath”.

Charles Veldieu was sleeping when a 29-year-old Caribbean national was rushed to hospital on Monday morning at Surfers Paradise backpackers hostel Maxmee Resort.

Scenes from the Maxmee Resort at Surfers Paradise on Wednesday. Picture: Sam Stolz

The Saint Lucia resident was taken to Gold Coast University Hospital in a critical condition, with police confirming he died later that day.

Mr Veldieu said tourists at the resort were saying the man was “just playing in the water and trying to hold his breath” when he suffered the shallow water blackout at about 10.45am.

“I was woken up by people screaming and crying and saw the police out my window,” Mr Veldieu said.

“It’s a tragic thing to happen, especially in a place like this where people are having a fun time and enjoying the Gold Coast.”

Mr Veldieu arrived in Australia four months ago, and had been staying at the Maxmee Resort three days before the tragedy happened.

Netherlands national Bart Van Lier said he had been out for the day and arrived back at the hostel to see emergency services parked out the front.

The pool was closed on Wednesday. Picture: Sam Stolz

“The first thing I wondered was what has happened at our happy little hostel,” Mr Van Lier said.

“It was just awful and no one knew what had really happened until the next day when police showed up again. We then knew he was dead.”

Mr Van Lier said he saw a woman being comforted by police on Tuesday, believing her to be the drowned man’s girlfriend.

“You could hear and see how distraught she was,” he said.

Mr Van Lier said the atmosphere around the backpackers since the incident had been mixed.

“Some people just arrived today and others are quite sad, so there’s a mixture of emotions.”

On Wednesday, Maxmee management had put a closed sign on the pool fence.

Man dies after being pulled from backpackers pool

February 8: A 29-year-old foreigner has died after he was pulled from the water of a Surfers Paradise backpackers resort pool.

The man was rushed to hospital after being found unconscious under the water of the Maxmee Resort’s pool around 10.44am on Monday.

A Gold Coast police spokesperson confirmed the man from the Carribean island nation of Saint Lucia had died.

Drowning at a resort on the Gold Coast Hwy, in Surfers Paradise. Picture: NIGEL HALLETT

People watched in tears the man be wheeled into an ambulance past the backpacker’s pool.

On Monday afternoon Queensland Ambulance Service operations supervisor Paul Young said the man was “very critical”.

“On our arrival there was a 29-year-old male patient who had been pulled from the water … he had been under for two minutes plus,” he said.

Tourists being comforted. Picture: NIGEL HALLETT

“The people who pulled him out started CPR straight away while someone made a triple-zero phone call to the ambulance.

“He is still in a very critical condition …. His heart was not beating, nor was he breathing on his own.”

Queensland Ambulance, Fire and Emergency services and Gold Coast police all attended the scene with critical care paramedics rushing the man to Gold Coast University Hospital.

Tributes poured in for the man following the news of his death.

“Tragic! RIP young man,” one Facebook user wrote.

“Such a tragic loss. RIP fella,” another said.