Takhini Hot Springs officials say they will review and work with the Yukon coroner's report released Tuesday on the drowning of a woman at the pool last Feb. 7.

That's in addition to the safety measures officials have taken on their own since the death.

In her report, chief coroner Kirsten Macdonald found that Kiyoko Nagasaki had wandered off from others in the tour group she was with and fallen into the pool.

The lights at the pool had been turned off so the tour group could get a better view of the northern lights.

As well, Nagasaki was wearing multiple layers of heavy clothing which may have prevented her from being able to get out of the pool after she fell in.

Video surveillance was found not to be operating at the time.

The coroner acknowledged the efforts of the hot springs staff in immediately bringing in a new policy around pool use after dark. It states that lighting in the pool must be on when patrons are in the water.

Still, five of the eight recommendations handed down in the report are aimed at the hot springs.

They include:

• To immediately cease the practice of extinguishing lights in and around the pool area when patrons are using the facility;

• Video surveillance should be functional and recording at all times that patrons are using the facilities;

• Implement a system to control access to the pool and surrounding deck and pool areas with effective locks to secure the pool area and keep it locked when the pool is not being used;

• Immediately perform a risk assessment of the pool area, and implement a policy for pool use when visibility is hindered by steam or darkness; and

• Post warning signs in a conspicuous, well-lit area so patrons can see the warnings. Where possible, it's suggested, signs should feature pictures to convey the message to avoid confusion for those who don't read English.

In an interview Tuesday afternoon, hot springs president Garry Umbrich said officials will work with the report and its recommendations.

"There were no surprises,” he said of the document, noting that safety has always been a priority at the facility north of Whitehorse.

Last January, he noted, a no kids after dark rule was established with the facility opening a couple of hours earlier so families with young children could take advantage of the pool in the daylight hours.

"We're always trying to improve safety,” he said.

As the report stated and Umbrich emphasized immediately following Nagasaki's death, officials looked at their operations and changed their policy so there was no access to the pool if the lights were off.

As Umbrich described it, tour groups, such as the one Nagasaki was part of, visit the hot springs to take in the northern lights.

The pool is available to the groups, with many tourists using the hot springs when the aurora can't be seen.

Previously when the aurora becomes visible, tourists get out of the pool to take in the light show, as the steam from the pool makes it difficult to see them.

Tour groups are given the option of using the pool or viewing the aurora.

When they choose to take in the aurora, the entire group must be outside of the facility and the pool area is locked up before the lights are turned off.

If the group wants the lights out, they can't use the pool nor have any access to it, Umbrich explained.

He noted that the video surveillance equipment may have been turned off because it was so dark.

As he explained, when it's dark and there are no lights on at the pool, the video just appears dark itself, unable to really show any movement or the situation.

With the lights turned off, it's possible the video equipment was also turned off because of that.

Umbrich also pointed out that the video equipment was installed voluntarily by the hot springs as a safety measure; there was no such requirement for it.

In addition to reviewing the coroner's report and making any changes from it, Umbrich said he hopes to sit down with officials from the Yukon government's environmental health branch, which licenses public pool facilities like the hot springs.

He wants to go over the report with them and deal with the recommendation to the government that it conduct an inspection of the hot springs to ensure compliance with pool regulations.

The recommendation specifically lists three sections of the regulations where compliance should be ensured.

Those include making sure the pool will not result in a health hazard; that there's no access to the pool except during normal operating hours; and that there are signs setting out the rules and regulations of pool use easily viewed in dressing rooms, the pool area and offices.

The other recommendation aimed at the government calls for a review of its public pool regulations and current practices around inspections and monitoring all potential safety and/or health hazards for swimming pools throughout the territory.

Marcelle Dubé, a Department of Health and Social Services spokeswoman, said this morning the department is reviewing the coroner's report. It's also considering how to address the recommendations, especially around the public pool regulations and monitoring practices.

The remaining recommendation is aimed at B.C.-based Skyland Tours Ltd., which was providing the tour Nagasaki was part of.

"To ensure that all persons on a tour are accounted for at all times, the minimum requirement should be a buddy system and a strict policy that does not permit anyone in the future to swim or approach the pool waters alone while visiting Takhini Hot Springs,” Macdonald stated in her report on the recommendation to Skyland.

Officials with Skyland did not return calls.

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