INDIANAPOLIS — Planet Fitness released a statement after a man was found dead in a tanning bed Monday morning at its south Indianapolis location.
The company released the following statement Tuesday afternoon:
“We were deeply saddened by the passing of one of our members, and the franchise owner is working with the local authorities in their investigation," Chief Corporate Affairs Officer McCall Gosselin said. "At Planet Fitness, we have robust operational brand protocols in place, as the safety and well-being of our members is our top priority. We are working closely with our local franchisee to ensure they are upholding those brand protocols.”
13News reached out to the Marion County Health Department and the Better Business Bureau, who both said they are aware of IMPD's investigation, but are not launching any of their own at this time.
A sign on the door of the Planet Fitness on Hardegan Street, near U.S. 31 and County Line Road, Nov. 11 said, "tanning is currently unavailable."
Family confirmed to 13News that 39-year-old Derek Sink went into a tanning bed on Friday, Nov. 8 and was found dead there Monday morning. Family said Sink struggled with drugs and a needle was found in the room with him.
The cause of Sink's death has not yet been determined.
Sink's aunt said they reported him missing on Friday. She said he was wearing an ankle monitor that helped investigators determine he never left the gym.
A woman who was at Planet Fitness that morning, before law enforcement showed up, said she and other members noticed a foul smell in the building that got worse near the tanning rooms. Now, she said she's wondering how something like this could happen.
"The tanning bed has a door, I believe, but still, why are we not concerned that the tanning bed has been closed for three days, potentially?" Elizabeth Len asked.
Sink's family called him a loving person. They said they hope to see stricter policies on cleaning and an end-of-day checklist for staff to prevent this from happening again.
13News reached out to IMPD, who confirmed they were investigating a death at that location and did not elaborate on the circumstances.