THE family of a young girl who almost drowned in a Canvey swimming pool is to sue the council.
The seven-year-old girl, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, got her hair caught in an underwater vent at Waterside Farm Leisure Centre’s pool.
Last week, Castle Point Council was fined £18,000 and made to pay £7,500 costs after admitting health and safety failings in the incident on May 2, 2009. Now, the girl’s family will pursue a civil case againt the council, who run the pool.
The girl’s mother, 29, from Thundersley, said: “She will never fully recover from the trauma.
“But it would be nice for her to at least know she has been compensated for having such a terrible experience.
“Any money she receives would be put into a trust fund until she is 18.
“She spent nine hours in Southend Hospital afterwards and is still frightened even thinking about it.
“She’s a big fan of the pop band JLS, but there’s a song they do, with the words ‘her heart won’t beat again’. She can’t listen to it because it makes her think about how close she came to dying.”
The youngster was held under water for two minutes and 36 seconds, until her great grandfather managed to pull a clump of hair out and release her from the vent.
She was unconscious when she was finally carried from the water, limp and blue in colour.
Fortunately, she came round once laid on the poolside and has since made a good recovery.
A case against the council was brought by the Health and Safety Executive and was heard at Basildon Magistrates Court last Wednesday.
The court was told the council failed to ensure there were a sufficient number of vents, so if one vent became blocked the other would take the pressure off the suction.
There were also too few lifeguards on duty. Of the two who were working, one was cleaning and the other could not see the whole pool.
Castle Point Council declined to comment.
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