Anger of father whose toddler drowned at pool
AN ANGUISHED father has told how he dived into a swimming pool in a desperate attempt to save his drowning son.
Steven Wright says he pulled three-year-old Rocco from the indoor pool at his local leisure centre but was too late to save him.
The family’s trauma at losing a child deepened after the centre management put out a public statement claiming the little boy was ‘ rescued’ by a member of staff. The family claim it fuelled hurtful comments on social media blaming them for the tragedy.
Rocco was plucked unconscious from the 25m pool at the David Lloyd Club in Leeds on Saturday morning and desperate attempts to resuscitate him failed as swimmers watched in horror.
Mr Wright revealed how he was at the poolside with Rocco and his four-year-old sister discussing her cancelled swimming lesson with staff when he realised Rocco had vanished. ‘I checked round the poolside thinking he would be hiding but he wasn’t,’ the father said. ‘I found him at the far end of the pool face down at the bottom. I dived in and got him out on to the poolside and screamed for help.’
A lifeguard arrived and an ambulance was called but Rocco was pronounced dead in hospital. The club issued a statement saying the boy was swimming with his family at the time and was rescued by a worker.
Mr Wright, 40, a finance director, and his wife Catharine, a 39-year- old teacher, said the pain of losing a child was made even worse by this ‘inaccurate’ information.
The couple said it led to horrifying speculation online suggesting they left their young children unattended in the pool as they enjoyed themselves in the sauna or gym.
Mr Wright said: ‘It was upsetting for David Lloyd to claim a member of staff had “rescued” him from the pool when that was not even close to what had happened. It was myself that found him and retrieved him from the water.’ Paying
‘Left with a void for ever’
tribute to his son, he added: ‘Rocco truly loved life and we will be left with a void for ever that can never be filled. RIP buddy, we’ll love you for ever.’
The leisure club closed for the rest of the day following the tragedy. A statement released by David Lloyd on the day said: ‘ The child was swimming with his family in our indoor pool. He was found unconscious just after 9.30am, and was rescued from the water by one of our team.’
David Lloyd issued a new statement yesterday saying: ‘All of our team are deeply shocked and our thoughts are very much with the boy’s family at this sad time.’
West Yorkshire Police is investigating and an inquest will be held at a later date.