Lifeguard hurt in pool rescue sues for £25,000
‘Muscular injury to both shoulders’
WHEN lifeguard Terry Barton Bond saw a child struggling in the pool, she leapt into action, grabbing a rescue pole and reaching for the distressed youngster.
Mrs Barton Bond rescued the swimmer – but is now suing her former employer because she hurt herself during the incident.
The 46-year- old former duty manager at the Blairgowrie Recreation Centre in Perthshire claims the rescue pole she had to use was too short.
She says she had to stretch and as a result ended up with a shoulder injury that kept her off work for six months.
Mrs Barton Bond has lodged an action at Perth Sheriff Court for £25,000 damages against the centre’s operator, Live Active Leisure.
Her writ states: ‘On May 19, 2012, she was duty manager and lifeguard at Blairgowrie Recreation Centre. She started her shift at 3pm.
‘At the time of the handover, a children’s party was ongoing in the pool area. At 3.05pm she was working at the shallow end.
‘Suddenly, and without warning, one of the children at the party started to get into difficulty in the water. She grabbed immediately for the reach pole.
‘The pole was stored on hooks on the wall. She placed the reach pole into the water to pull the child to safety. She required to extend her arms straight out, as the pole was too short.
‘The reach pole beside the pool was unsuitable. It was not the appropriate length to undertake the task being performed. It was too short and did not extend.
‘She sustained a muscular injury to both shoulders. She continues to complain of pain and discomfort in her shoulders. She was absent from work for six months.’
Mrs Barton Bond said she returned to light duties in November 2012 but required surgery the following July and was off work for four weeks. She left her post in November 2013.
She then moved to Blackpool and was out of work until taking up a post as a gym assistant in August last year. She claims she cannot work as a duty manager because her qualifications are no longer up to date.
Her action says: ‘She continues to suffer ongoing loss as a result of the accident.’
A hearing on the civil case has been scheduled for later this month.
Live Active Leisure has been forced to apologise after five young children were trapped in the Blairgowrie centre for an hour last Saturday after staff locked them in and went off for a barbecue with colleagues.
The girls, aged between eight and 11, were still in the changing room after going for a swim when staff closed for the night and left.
A spokesman for Live Active Leisure said: ‘We deeply regret Saturday night’s upsetting incident. We apologise unreservedly to the girls and families involved and are currently carrying out a full internal investigation to ensure this does not happen again.’