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Three lifeguards have been cleared of any wrongdoing over the death of a swimmer in Northern Ireland. Christopher Rogers died aged 20 in 2017 after passing out during an underwater training session at the Orchard Leisure Centre in Armagh. Despite lying at the bottom of the pool for more than five minutes, no rescue attempt was initiated until later. Rogers was rushed to Craigavon Area Hospital, where he passed away.
Cathal Peter Forrest McVeigh, James Monaghan, and William Holden, the three lifeguards on duty at the time of the incident, were accused of failing to take “reasonable care for the health and safety of other persons who may be affected by [their] acts or omissions at work.” The trial, which took place at Newry Crown Court, lasted for two hours, with the jury finding the defendants not guilty of the charge.
The defence argued that the lifeguards believed Rogers was a skilled swimmer engaged in a training exercise. Furthermore, there was no policy in place regarding swimmers’ length of time holding their breath underwater, and they were not trained to recognize the seizures that Rogers experienced.
The prosecution countered that notwithstanding such circumstances, the lifeguards should have intervened with a common-sense approach and didn’t because of sluggish handovers during the rotation of poolside duties.
Although the tragedy had shocked and devastated Rogers’s family and friends, they were understanding of the verdict and remained supportive of the lifeguards. Leaflets about epilepsy have been reportedly passed out by his mother, who wants to raise awareness of the condition
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More
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