A teenage boy was left in a permanent vegetative state from which he is not expected to ever recover after getting into difficulties in a Cork swimming pool, the High Court was told today.
Lifeguards on duty at the Leisureworld pool failed to respond swiftly or to administer resuscitation appropriately, were "extremely incompetent" and appeared to panic when the situation arose, it was claimed.
One female lifeguard became distressed when Mr Ian Murphy, then aged 14, was taken from the pool and had said the boy "is going to die" and there's "nothing we can do for him", Mr Justice Hanna was told.
It was also stated that a Red Cross member who has trained people in cardio-pulmonary resuscitation and who saw the boy get into difficulties would tell the court that when she tried to resuscitate the boy, she was told to go away and had to watch as resuscitation was incorrectly administered by the lifeguards.
The claims were made by Mr Michael O'Donoghue SC, with Mr James O'Mahony, instructed by Mr Raymond Duggan, solicitor, at the opening of an action for damages brought by Mr Murphy, now aged 21, and suing through his mother Joy, of Sandown Crest, Togher, Cork.
The proceedings are against Cork City Council and Sport Ionad Reigiuinach Chorcai Teoranta - trading as Leisureworld, with an address at Model Farm Road, Cork - and are expected to last three weeks.
The defendants have denied negligence or liability for the alleged injuries sustained by Mr Murphy while swimming at the Leisureworld complex on January 28th, 1998.