Father’s ‘frolic’ put son’s life in danger

A FOUR-YEAR-OLD nearly drowned at a leisure centre after his father left him in the toddlers’ pool so he could ride the log flume.

The father had taken his son swimming, but when he spotted the flume water slide, he left the child alone in the toddlers’ pool, a court heard.

The father, who cannot be named for legal reasons, had forgotten to bring the boy’s armbands, which were

“necessary for him to swim”, the court was told.

And as his father joined the queue for the water slide, the boy made his way from the toddlers’ pool to the larger pool – and was left unconscious underwater.

Taunton Crown Court heard the child was saved by an adult swimmer who “felt her foot brush something” and, horrified, spotted the child’s body.

An off-duty paramedic was able to pull the boy from the water and began resuscitation at the poolside, before he regained consciousness and was taken to the first aid room.

The father initially told police and his partner that he had “just popped to the toilet” at Brean Leisure Park in Somerset.

But CCTV from the park showed the child was left alone for “a number of minutes”. The father eventually told the truth about what happened.

Judge David Ticehurst gave the father an 18-month conditional discharge and ordered him to pay £250 costs, with a £20 surcharge. He was also told to pay £200 to the two swimmers who saved his son’s life.

Describing the moment the swimmer spotted the boy’s body, the prosecution said: “She immediately got him out of the water and he was put on the side. She said, ‘Come quickly, there’s a dead little boy and no one was helping him’.”

Following the ordeal, the youngster spent two days in hospital, where he was required to have “high levels of oxygen”.

The father’s defending solicitor argued that despite the incident, his client was a “great, loving and caring” parent and he expressed “genuine remorse”.

The court heard the boy was reluctant to swim again and the experience caused the father’s partner to suffer from anxiety.

But Judge Ticehurst credited the child’s “character and resilience” following the traumatic ordeal and he was relieved the boy had made a full recovery.

The judge said the father “went on a momentary whim to frolic”, but added: “I have no doubt you were filled with guilt following this incident. I give you credit for your plea of guilty, and this falls outside of child cruelty.”