Schoolboy gets €21k for near drowning at aquatic centre

A schoolboy nearly drowned four years ago in a Dublin swimming pool in an incident described as every parent’s worst nightmare.

Barrister Tracy Ennis Faherty told the Circuit Civil Court that Callum Mahon, 11, had been at the National Aquatic Centre in Blanchardstown in July 2011 when the accident happened.

Callum, who was seven at the time, and his father, Gareth Mahon, took two different slides into the pool, believing that they would enter the water at the same time and place.

Circuit Court president Mr Justice Raymond Groarke heard that unfortunately, Callum, of Donomore Park, Killinarden, Tallaght, Dublin, and his father entered the water at two different areas of the pool.

Mr Mahon, concerned about not seeing his son, went and looked for him, and saw that Callum was going down under the water and coming up again slowly.

He pulled him out of the water and asked a lifeguard to have a look at his son. Callum complained of chest pain several days later and was taken to the Emergency Department of the Adelaide and Meath Hospital.

He was diagnosed with pneumonia and water in his lungs and remained in hospital for a week, where he was treated for the infection, ongoing pain and anxiety.

Callum, through his father Gareth, sued the authority in charge of the centre maintenance, National Sports Campus Development Authority, of Top Floor, Block A, West End Office Park, Blanchardstown, and also NSCDA (Operations) Ltd, of IIS Building, National Sports Campus, Abbotstown, Dublin, for negligence and breach of duty.

It was claimed the defendants had failed to observe him properly as he entered the water and also failed to notice he had been struggling under the water. It was also claimed there was a failure to carry out adequate examination on Callum and to call the emergency services to have him assessed.

The court heard that liability might have been an issue if the case went to a full hearing. Ms Ennis Faherty said the defendants had made a €21,000 settlement offer in the case.

Approving the offer, Judge Groarke said the accident was every parent’s worst nightmare. Hearing that Callum had developed a fear of water, he said he hoped he would soon go back swimming.