BY AILEEN MURPHY
Eight-year-old Paul Bogue was a 'good, confident swimmer' according to his father Thomas Bogue.
Mr Bogue was giving evidence at an inquest into the death of his son, who died at the Royal Victoria Hospital for Sick Children following an incident in Portora swimming pool in July 2006.
Mr Bogue told the court he believed Paul and some other young boys had been swimming widths of the pool under-water just prior to the incident which occurred on the 11 July 2006. Mr Bogue said Paul had experienced a nose bleed the day before, but said this wasn't unusual for his son and he did not associate this with Paul's death. Paul was taken from Portora pool to the Erne Hospital, before being transferred to the Royal Victoria, where he died two days later on the 13 July.
He said Paul had learnt to swim when he was just three years old with swimming lessons in the Lakeland Forum, and Mr Bogue added: "He was a very enthusiastic swimmer. When he wasn't in Portora pool, he was in the Lakeland Forum in the winter time. This was his third summer going to Portora."
Consultant neuro-pathologist Dr Mirakhur told the hearing the cause of death was from hypoxic-ischaemic brain damage which had been caused by a lack of oxygen to the brain and aspiration pneumonia which occurred when the boy swallowed water.
She also said she could not find evidence of any previous heart irregularities, brain defects or any epileptic condition which could have contributed to Paul's dead. Although she explained 'that doesn't mean there were not any."
Sara McCabe was the leader of the swim camp in Portora in July 2006. She explained Paul had been the first child to appear at the pool on the 11 July. Sara McCabe said she had not seen the incident involving Paul, but had been informed about it by lifeguard James Elliott.
The court heard Portora pool is divided into three sections, deep, middle and shallow. Paul was swimming in the middle section, which is 0.95 metres deep, and this area was being monitored by Mr Elliott. There were around 10 people in this section of the pool that morning. A second lifeguard, Christopher Slevin was monitoring the deep end, which had about five people in it, while Sara McCabe and her sister Carla were watching the shallow end, again with around five people swimming in it. She said this was a normal distribution of lifeguards, with two tasked to watch the area where less competent swimmers were. A fifth lifeguard, Ryan Whitely was on duty collecting tickets at the gate to the pool.
Sara McCabe said Mr Elliott told her Paul had been swimming under-water with his friends, he then stood up and started to walk towards the side of the pool and take off his goggles. Then Mr Elliott observed him lying on his back in the water kicking his legs: "Something about his actions alerted James something was wrong. He asked one of the other children to check he was OK. The other boy touched him but Paul didn't respond. He was immediately removed from the water."
Sara McCabe explained she was involved in helping Paul once he was taken out of the pool. Sara McCabe and Martina McCaughey, a nurse who was at the pool with her family, worked with Paul while they waited for an ambulance to arrived. Mrs McCaughey explained Paul was a 'funny waxy colour' when she went over to the boy. She also noted his pupils were dilated and he had a very weak pulse. Mrs McCaughey said she checked his breathing, but couldn't find any, and therefore she administered two 'rescue breaths'. This caused Paul to vomit. Mrs McCaughey said Paul's colour deteriorated all the time and she knew there was something 'very serious wrong' with the young boy.
Sara McCabe told the court it was very rare Paul would even be in the middle section of the pool: "He would have lived in the deep end, and was very happy up there. He was a very good child, there was no messing out of him, and he was a very confident, competent swimmer."
When questioned about the possibility Paul may have been hyperventilating prior to going under-water, Sara McCabe told the court she had never seen Paul or any other child doing something like that.
A second life-guard on duty, Carla McCabe, gave a different sequence of events in the moments before Paul was removed from the pool.
Carla McCabe said she was around two to three metres from lifeguard James Elliott who was manning the middle section of the pool. She heard Mr Elliott say 'there is something wrong with this boy'.
Carla McCabe said: "I registered it was Paul Bogue. He was removing his goggles, but he appeared dizzy or faint. He was standing, the water was chest high. I told James Elliott to bring him over, and shouted at Sara to come over. I went to assist to pull him out of the water, Sara McCabe came over, and I went to phone an ambulance."
Carla McCabe said the ambulance operator asked her a number of questions on the phone regarding Paul's health, such as if he had a heart complaint, epileptic or was asthmatic. Carla McCabe said she asked Paul's aunt, Caroline, who was at the scene about the illnesses but his aunt said he did not have any of them.
The Coroner asked Carla McCabe if Paul had attempted to wade towards the side of the pool? She replied: "He was just standing still, but attempting to move forward, his shoulders were in a forward motion. He looked dizzy, but I could see he was making an effort."
The coroner said: "This doesn't seem like a typical drowning situation?
To which Carla McCabe replied: "No, definitely not. It was quite bizarre. He looked faint or dizzy, but I could see he was speaking to someone beside him. He was definitely communicating and making an effort to move forward."
Carla McCabe was asked if she had a theory about what may have happened to Paul? She replied: "I can't comprehend it. He was such a competent swimmer. He may have been underwater, but there is nothing abnormal in that. He was standing up moving, and he just looked dizzy. In my mind I don't know how it could be drowning,: Carla McCabe was asked again by James Toolan, counsel for the Bogue family, if she was sure Paul had been standing up. To which she replied: "Yes, 100 per cent".
Mr Toolan put James Elliott's evidence to Carla McCabe, that Paul was floating on his back. She replied: "I never at any time saw him floating," and she was adamant, "I have no doubt in my mind about my recollection."
Evidence was also given from lifeguards,Christopher Slevin and Ryan Whitely who assisted at the scene but did not see the sequence of events leading up to Paul's removal from the pool.
However, the fifth lifeguard on duty that day, and who was tasked with monitoring the middle section of the pool where Paul got into difficult, was not present in Court. A letter from his solicitor explained Mr Elliott is studying at a university outside of Northern Ireland and he would not be attending the inquest. Mr Toolan on behalf of the Bogue's expressed the family's dismay at the absence of this 'key witness'.
Mr Elliott's statement, which he made to the Police shortly after the incident, was read to the Court. In it the life-guard explains this was his 'first full day on duty' in Portora.
He described the sequence of events: "Paul swam a width of the pool. He them stood up and walked back to my side. He said something on the way but I don't know what it was. Another group of boys were splashing around and I told them to be careful they might hit their heads. I turned back and scanned the area, everything seemed fine. Then Paul caught my attention. He was lying on his back with his legs kicking out, turning in a circle. There was nothing erratic in his kicks. His eyes were open and his head above water.
"His head was pointed towards me and I could see he was about to collide with another boy. I shouted at the other boy and asked him to get Paul's attention. He tapped Paul on the shoulder and called his name, but there was no response. I got down on my knees to get him out. Carla McCabe said 'get him out' and Sara McCabe aided me to get him out. I grabbed him under both armpits and pulled him out of the water, while Sara McCabe supported his back area."
Neil Morton, Headmaster of Portora Royal School explained he had been on holiday when he was informed of the incident. He explained funding for the pool ceased in 2004 and the Board of Governors felt they could not justify the expense which was so limited to the School, who did not use it during term time since boarding had stopped at Portora.
However, he said a partnership was reached with the local community who raised the funds to keep the pool open during the summer.
To do this, Mr Morton explained it was 'paramount' health and safety requirements were met, and to help with this the administration side of things were looked after by the School.
