A VERY angry, at times emotional Mr Terry Matthews, Nathan’s father, said: “I feel as though our son’s death has been ‘swept under the carpet’ by this inquest, and that there has been a total disregard for his life.”
“Some of the things that were said in that inquest were not accurate and different from what people said at the time.”
“I am absolutely appalled,” continued Nathan’s mother, Penny.
“After three and a half years, I am no further forward with finding out how my son could be under the water for between 30-45 seconds, without any of the many adults, supposed to be looking after those children, pulling him out.
“I feel that I had put Nathan into the most dangerous environment, with an unqualified lifeguard; if I had known, he would never have been on that trip.
“I would warn all parents to check any lifeguard’s qualifications before allowing their child to take part in any swimming activity.
“A young, healthy person does not drown unless things are not as they should be. We still have no answers.”
(See previous reports of evidence given that the lifeguard, Rob McGill was considered to be suitable qualified by his employers, Soll Leisure Ltd.)
Nathan’s sister, Jo Matthews, read out her own statement:
“My brother Nathan was a great person and I feel that I haven’t got the answers that I was hoping for. I feel that Nathan was just ‘swept under the carpet’ and the thought of him just lying on the floor of the pool for 30-45 seconds, with no one helping him, makes me sick and angry, and will haunt me for the rest of my life.”
Oxfordshire County Council, Swimming Instructor, Sara Allen’s employers, issued the following statement:
“Oxfordshire County Council has facilitated and supported a full inquiry by way of an inquest into Nathan’s tragic death.
It has lasted for two weeks wih all relevant witnesses attending together with independent expert witnesses.
The jury’s narrative verdict contained the view that the lesson was adequately supervised and that all necessary attempts at resuscitation were undertaken.
There has not been, and should not be, any criticism of the council, school or leisure centre staff involved in this tragedy. They acted with professionalism at all times. All have been deeply affected.
The sympathies of all at the council are with Nathan’s parents and family who have acted with great dignity throughout in the face of the necessarily distressing evidence as to what happened that day.”
Nathan’s Headteacher, Andrew White, said after the inquest: “This has been an awful ordeal for the family, the school and the community as it has rekindled memories. Our thoughts and sympathies are with the family. We are still without answers as to why he died.
The one comfort is that everybody did what they could reasonably be expected to do to save Nathan’s life. Tragically, they were not able to save him.
“I will go back and share the news and go through the findings with the staff. It has been acknowledged that everyone did what they could but it doesn’t change the sadness we feel but we feel reassured by that.”
Penny Matthews told ThameNews.Net that she had just received a phone call which informed her that parents and others from Stokenchurch, where the family live and where Nathan went to school, were “outraged” at the news of the verdict and that a group of them had told her that they will be organising a petition for a Public Enquiry.
As they left to return home, Mrs Matthews said that her and her husband “were not finished yet,” and that after trying to make Christmas the best they could for their other children,” they would be discussing with their lawyers where they would be going from here.
The Health and Safety Executive, which oversees local authorities’ Leisure activities, and the South Oxfordshire District Council’s own Health and Safety Inspectorate, will be going away to consider the verdict and the evidence they have heard throughout the inquest, before deciding whether any criminal charges are to be brought against any local authority involved or Soll Leisure Ltd.
Decisions are not expected for several weeks.
Mr and Mrs Matthews told reporters that they would like to thanks the following people for their support:
Solicitors, Simpson and Miller
The Communication Workers Union
The Centre For Corporate Accountability – Maninder Jalaf
FACK – Families Against Corporate Killing
David Liddington MP
and all those who expressed encouragement and support on Nathan’s web page.
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