Member of public saves child at pool
Published: September 22, 2006
LEISURE centre staff have been warned to improve safety after a drowning child had to be rescued by a member of the public.
Fairfield Pool and Leisure Centre, Lowfield Street, Dartford, was reported to Dartford Council’s health and safety department after the incident.
Mother-of-two Karen O’Brien reported the incident after her six-year-old daughter got into difficulty during a swimming lesson.
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Mrs O’Brien, of Howard Road, Dartford, was watching her daughter swim to the deep end of the pool from the viewing gallery.
The 39-year-old said she saw her daughter begin to panic and go under the water.
Mrs O’Brien said: “I was watching her start to drown but her instructor couldn’t see her as she was helping a lifeguard move lane partitions.
“I ran down to the pool and started screaming at the lifeguards to help her but they had not been watching and did not know were she was.”
She added: “I was just about to jump in when a member of the public rescued her.
“I was devastated by the fact she nearly drowned and nobody had taken any notice.”
Following the incident Mrs O’Brien has stopped her two daughters continuing their swimming lessons at the pool.
The housewife sent two letters to the pool demanding the £84 she had pre-paid for lessons to be refunded to her.
Fairfield Pool and Leisure Centre replied offering to refund any further lessons taken at the complex.
A spokesman for Dartford Council’s health and safety department said: “We have investigated the claim and have written to both Mrs O’Brien and Fairfield Pool.
“We have advised the pool to reinforce its safety rules and make sure staff are aware of them.”
Fairfield Pool and Leisure Centre declined to comment.
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