Late night drowning at Mishawaka apartment complex

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MISHAWAKA, Ind. -- Neighbors are concerned after the drowning death of a man at a Mishawaka apartment complex.

Investigators confirmed 59-year-old Ivo Hrvat died Monday night at the pool inside of the Reserve at Pine Oak Apartments. 

"Through the fence of the pool, you could see them doing CPR on someone," recalls Kennedy Goens.

Goens lives in an apartment right by the pool in the complex. 

Around 9:30 Monday night, she saw the sirens and knew something was wrong.

"I was hoping that it wasn't kids following around and that they didn't get in the pool somehow. It was pretty late so it didn't make sense," she says. 

That's one of Goens biggest concerns: why were people allowed in the pool so late at night? 

Police say Hrvat and his girlfriend were frequent late night swimmers, and that he swam in the pool almost the same time every night. 

"I think the pool should be locked late at night," says Goens. "It's dark, you never know what can happen. Kids can get in there and play around, and anything can happen." 

From ABC57 News could see of the pool, there are no signs dictating the times the pool is open or closed. 

What was visible, however, was a red emergency phone, which Goens and several other residents didn't even know existed.

"I didn't notice it before, I really didn't," she says. "I don't even know if it works or anything."

Back in 2012, when the complex was called the McKinley Woods Apartments, the emergency phone wasn't working.

ABC57 News reported then that a 22-year-old man died in the very same pool. His brother told investigators he couldn't get help in time to save him. 

Mishawaka Police tell ABC57 News, this latest incident was called in via a cellphone. 

ABC57 spoke with the leasing office, who replied that they couldn't answer any questions. However, they did say they are required to make sure the phone is operable.

30 minutes later, ABC57 News saw maintenance working at the pool.

Goens says she hopes this tragedy helps make some changes with pool safety.

"I think about what happened. Like how did it happen," she adds. "Accidents are really, really sad and I'm very upset it happened in general."

Hrvat's autopsy is scheduled for Wednesday at 10 a.m. in Fort Wayne, to determine if it was indeed an accidental drowning or medical emergency. 

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