Holiday group fined after girl, 3, 'nearly drowns'

A holiday camp operator has admitted breaching health and safety laws after a three-year-old girl was found unconscious and face-down in a swimming pool.

Oxford Active Ltd was told to pay £20,000, which included a £6,000 fine, after she was found at a holiday camp at Bishopgate School in Egham, Surrey, in July 2023.

A prosecution from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) at Chichester Crown Court on Tuesday, 27 January heard how the girl, who did not know how to swim, needed to be resuscitated by staff after becoming trapped under a large float in the pool.

Oxford Active, who pleaded guilty to breaching the Health and Safety at Work Act, have been approached for comment.

A HSE spokesperson told how the girl, part of a group of 19 children aged between three and five who were swimming in the session, was given two sets of buoyancy armbands and a foam noodle before entering the pool.

The girl became stuck under a large rocket-shaped float in the pool, and when she was found she was no longer wearing the armbands or using the noodle.

An HSE said the girl "nearly drowned", and its investigation found that Oxford Active's documentation relating to pool safety and supervision was "insufficiently detailed and lacked clarity".

'Recovered well'

After the hearing, HSE inspector Russell Beckett said: "It is vital that children are able to learn to swim in a safe environment and that parents can trust their children will be properly looked after while doing so.

"Fortunately, the three-year-old child recovered well, but this incident could very easily have had a tragic outcome."

Oxford Active, which is based in Kidlington, was also ordered to pay £12,000 in costs and a £2,000 victim surcharge as part of the £20,000 payment.

The company also separately agreed to pay a further £2,000 to the family as compensation.

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