Duluth hotel says man was in pool after hours when he became unresponsive, died

Management of a downtown Duluth hotel is saying that a Twin Cities guest was not supposed to be in the pool where he became unresponsive and later died.

The operators of the Radisson Hotel Duluth-Harborview on W. Superior Street said in a statement that the 22-year-old man from Newport "drowned … after gaining unauthorized access to the pool after it was closed for the evening."

His companions discovered the man about 1:15 a.m. Sunday and alerted hotel staff, the statement continued. "The staff took action and first responders arrived minutes later," the statement read. He was taken to a nearby hospital, where he died.

Alcohol appears to have played a role in the death, according to the St. Louis County Sheriff's Office. The man's identity has yet to be released.

The high-rise Radisson opened roughly 47 years ago and is known for its distinctive round shape and rotating top-floor restaurant.