Halesowen pensioner drowned after suffering heart failure in gym pool

Raymond Short, from Halesowen, was found at the bottom of a swimming pool at the DW Sports and Fitness centre in Kidderminster by a fellow gym member.

He was pulled from the water by other swimmers and a cleaner but was pronounced dead in hospital a short time later.

An inquest into his death at Stourport Coroner's Court heard how swimmer Stephen Parkins raised the alarm when the 79-year-old, of Blackberry Lane, failed to resurface on August 25 last year.

Mr Short, who normally used the gym twice a week, had been swimming under the water and travelled a length before stopping on his way back down.

Mr Parkins told the hearing: "He came down the steps into the pool and went to one side of the lane. He immediately dived under the water from a standing position. I noticed because it was unusual for someone to swim under water.

"I swam to the far end of the pool and as I swam back I noticed movement under the water.

"I turned around to do another length and noticed he hadn't come towards me. He still appeared to be in the same position. I am deliberating for a few seconds thinking he should have been up by now. That's when I got concerned and alerted the cleaner."

No other gym staff were at the poolside at the time apart from the cleaner but staff were quickly alerted and began administering CPR while they waited for paramedics.

Mr Short was taken to the Worcestershire Royal Hospital but could not be saved.

Questions were raised by Worcestershire assistant coroner David Reid about the supervision of swimmers at the centre in Weaver's Wharf.

The inquest heard pool checks were carried out every 15 minutes. Reception staff checked CCTV every half an hour and someone would go to the poolside to conduct a check 15 minutes either side. Since the tragedy, pool checks have been carried out every 10 minutes.

Despite questions about the gym's safety procedures, Mr Reid concluded it did not make any difference to what happened to Mr Short. Doctors concluded he drowned after suffering a 'cardiac arrhythmic event'.

The pensioner suffered from diabetes and high blood pressure and a post mortem also revealed he also had heart disease.

A statement read out from Mr Short's wife Janet said: "Until six to nine months ago he was quite fit, swimming, walking, doing general jobs around the garden.

"We had noticed a change in him, everything he did seemed to be an effort but he still enjoyed swimming twice a week most weeks."

Mr Reid recorded a verdict of accidental death.