A YOUNG boy who died from a drowning incident at a swimming pool in a hotel in Offaly three years ago had removed his armbands shortly after getting into the water, an inquest has heard.
A verdict of death by misadventure was returned into how Oliver Forde, sustained fatal injuries after getting into difficulty in the pool at the Tullamore Court Hotel in Offaly on May 29, 2022.
Oliver, six, from Innismore, Crumlin, Dublin died on May 31, 2022 at Children’s Health Ireland at Crumlin.
The former Harold’s Cross National School pupil had been transferred there two days earlier from the Midlands Regional Hospital in Tullamore.
At a hearing in Dublin District Coroner’s Court on Monday, the deceased’s mother, Nina Mahon, wept openly, at evidence that her son had provided life to four other patients as a result of the decision to donate his heart, liver and kidneys.
The inquest also heard evidence that no hotel staff or anyone in the pool had seen the boy get into difficulty.
In a written statement, Oliver’s father, Denis Forde, described how he had seen his son take off his armbands in the pool when he and his three children had gone swimming in the hotel after returning from a day out.
Mr Forde, who did not attend the inquest, said he walked around the pool and into the changing areas after he had looked around at one stage and could not see his son.
He recalled: “I only took my eyes off Oliver for a second.”
When he returned to the pool area, Mr Forde said he immediately jumped into the water when he saw his son at the bottom of the pool.
An inspector with the Health and Safety Authority, Aidan Kelly, said the DPP had directed that no criminal prosecution should arise out of the case.
INQUIRY CONDUCTED
Mr Kelly said the HSA had conducted an inquiry as legislation also placed a duty on employers to persons other than their employees as well as a duty to carry out risk assessments.
Counsel for the hotel, Ronan Kennedy SC, who had offered condolences to Oliver’s family at the start of the inquest, pointed out that there is no legislation requiring the operators of swimming pools to have a lifeguard on duty.
The inquest heard most operated guidelines issued jointly by Water Safety Ireland, Swim Ireland and Ireland Active.
The results of a postmortem showed that Oliver died from injuries caused by a lack of oxygen to the brain which were consistent with “prolonged immersion in water.”
‘I’ll NEVER GET OVER LOSS’
Ms Mahon, who has previously expressed dismay about delays in finding out how her son had died, told the hearing that she had never known before the inquest what had happened to Oliver or received an apology.
Fighting back tears, she remarked: “I will never ever get over the loss of my son but will have to try for my other boys. This day has really helped.”
Recording a verdict of death by misadventure, the coroner noted that there was a risk factor in the deceased not wearing armbands.
Dr Keane said the case highlighted how such tragedies could occur “in the blink of an eye” in water.
