‘Blackout’ Theory Backed By Drowning Expert At Thame Inquest

AN expert in drowning and resuscitation told the inquest into the drowning at Thame swimming pool in 2004, that the victim, Nathan Matthews, probably suffered a blackout under the water before drowning.
Dr Anthony Handley said that, although other reasons for Nathan becoming unconscious under the water could not be ruled out, he was of the opinion that two of the more likely causes, ie either a seizure or an attack of arrhythmia (too slow, too fast or irregular heart beat) were improbable. He was of the opinion that the most likely cause began with Nathan hyperventilating (over-breathing) after using up most of the oxygen in his lungs due to the amount of effort he was exerting during his swim.

Dr Handley went on to explain that at that point, Nathan would probably have then gone under the water, either voluntarily or not, with insufficient carbon-dioxide to trigger automatically the body’s urge to take a breath, and so, starved of oxygen, he passed out and at some point probably suffered a cardiac arrest.
After a short while of unconsciousness, explained Dr Hadley, the muscle spasm that automatically ‘kicks in’ when people go under water to close the airway to prevent water going in, would have relaxed and water would have entered Nathan’s lungs and drowning would have begun.

This so-called ‘Shallow Water Drowning’, as basically described above, is, said Dr Handley: “Considered to be a relatively common cause of death in water,” where typically the victim has not been seen to thrash about and struggling but just found quietly on the bottom.

Dr Handly confirmed yesterday’s evidence that from what he had heard and seen, Greg Boult and Rob McGill, the two lifeguards, correctly carried out CPR in an effort to save Nathan, until the ambulance arrived.

The inquest jury also heard evidence and discussion about whether Lifeguard, Rob McGill, had sufficient qualifications. Both Lifeguard trainer, James Wright, and Adrian Bidwell, Soll Leisure’s Group Head of Operations at the time of the incident, told the inquest that at that time, Part Two of the nationally recognised, Lifeguard qualification, for which there is no evidence that Rob McGill took, was not a requirement for practicing lifeguards.
Adrian Bidwell went on to explain that Soll Leisure ensured that all its lifeguards took their own ‘Induction course’ which was equivalent to Part Two of the Standard Royal Lifeguard qualification, and that, although the papers confirming Rob McGill’s passing of the induction course had been lost since, “We had satisfied outselves that he was competent.”

In response to a question about criticism aimed at Soll Leisure’s training methods for lifeguards, made during a risk assessment in November 2003, Mr Bidwell said that changes had been made and that the company had made “substantial improvements” since.

The inquest will resume tomorrow, when Detective Sgt Alan clements will give his evidence and the Coroner will begin to present his summing up to the jury.
It is expected that that jury will be asked to begin considering their verdict on Friday morning.

Photo: Drowning and resuscitation expert, Dr Anthony Handley