Five Lifeguards Dismissed After Boy Rescued at Suffolk Pool

Five lifeguards and leisure assistants at Waterlane Leisure Centre in Lowestoft, Suffolk, were dismissed after a boy was rescued from the main pool on May 1. An on-duty lifeguard removed the child from the 25-metre pool after a member of the public alerted staff.

The boy received CPR at the poolside and was taken by ambulance to hospital, where he was monitored and later released after making a full recovery.

The centre uses Poolview Plus+, an AI drowning-detection system with eight underwater cameras that issues alerts to lifeguards. On the evening of the incident, a buoy had been placed on the system’s alert button, preventing an alarm from sounding. Everyone Active area contract manager Stuart Jardine stated that the boy was rescued after swimming lessons had ended and confirmed an internal investigation is under way.

Following disciplinary hearings, five employees were dismissed. One of those dismissed was a teenager who was not working on May 1; two others had been on duty that evening. ” The five employees are appealing the decision. East Suffolk Council said its own health-and-safety investigation, conducted with Everyone Active, is expected to be lengthy and that no further comment will be made until it concludes.