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Fall River Pool To Remain Closed Until Investigators Have Answers

FALL RIVER (CBS) - On this blazing July day, the only person at Veterans Memorial pool in Fall River is the police officer on watch.

Even with the temperature well over 90 degrees, the public pool remains closed, more than a week after the body of 36-year-old Marie Joseph was discovered there.

Neighbor Alyssa Martell is eager to get her kids in for a splash.

"You want to go out and have fun with your kids and it's a good resource right down the road," she said.

But investigators will have to answer a number of lingering questions before that pool can reopen.

Officials continue to investigate why Joseph's body went unnoticed for two days at the bottom of the pool for more than two days while people swam under lifeguards' supervision.

Among the key questions is how cloudy was the water? And did lifeguards act appropriately?

WBZ-TV's Peg Rusconi reports

A nine-year old boy says he told lifeguards Joseph went under.

DCR Commissioner Ed Lambert said there's no rush to reopen the pool.

"Our thinking will be informed when we get the facts back. We don't want to prematurely decide that the pool will reopen and when it will reopen until we know for sure everything we need to know about the incident," Lambert said.

Lambert wouldn't speculate when investigators might have answers or when the pool might once again provide relief instead of raising questions.

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