An “athletic” young man who died after suffering a hypoxic blackout at the bottom of a leisure centre pool was himself a qualified lifeguard, a jury has heard.
Christopher Rogers (20) died during a swim session at the Orchard Leisure Centre in Armagh in April 2017.
Three lifeguards are standing trial in connection with the death.
When the trial was formally opened last Thursday, the jury heard how Mr Rogers had swam two and a half lengths of the pool underwater when he broke the surface and then “sank to the bottom of the pool” where he remained for five minutes and 14 seconds.
In court on Monday, the jury heard evidence from Paul Murphy who told them that at the time, his job at the centre was a full time swimming instructor as well as training and assessing the lifeguards.
Asked whether he knew Mr Rogers, the witness confirmed he did and further that he was aware of and had seen “once or twice” the type of training he was doing where either swam lengths underwater or “remained stationary holding his breath under the water”.
Under cross examination from Gavan Duffy, defence KC, Mr Murphy agreed that in 2017 “lifeguards were not receiving training in shallow water blackout”.
He agreed that after Mr Rogers’ death, there was a policy change for pools across the council area in that swimmers were not allowed to swim for more than 15 metres underwater.
The jury also heard evidence from Doris Sherry who at the time was the duty officer at Orchard Leisure Centre.
Confirming that she knew the “athletic” and “prolific swimmer” Mr Rogers as he regularly used the pool and from seeing him cycling in the area, Ms Murphy also confirmed that “he was a lifeguard…and would have received the same standard training” as the defendants in assessing potential dangers and hazards.
The trial continues.