Holiday company fined £20,000 over young girl’s death
Posted: November 30, 2013
Posted in: Gym & Leisure Centre Injuries Public Place Accidents Wrongful & Accidental Death
A Flintshire-based holiday company has been fined £20,000 after a 7-year-old girl got into some difficulty and drowned in the facility’s swimming pool. Seojin Kim, from Birmingham, had been on holiday with her family at Talacre Beach Caravan and Leisure Park in October 2010 when the accident happened. The former owners of the leisure site, Plas Coch Holiday Homes, admitted to safety breaches in 2012 and were also ordered to pay £32,000 costs.
Despite admitting to a lack of risk assessment surrounding the operation of the swimming pool, it was heard at Mold Crown Court that there was “no causal link” between the depth of the pool and the young girl’s death. Seojin had been in the baby pool with her father when he left her briefly to go to the toilet; she then got into some difficulties in the water and drowned. It was heard that the baby pool was connected to the large pool by some steps, which Seojin walked down and “quickly got into difficulties”.
£50,000 spent on swimming pool improvements
The court heard that the gradient of the large pool was far steeper than recommended by standards, however, it had been built before guidelines had come into action. Since the incident, over £50,000 has been spent on the swimming pool to make the floor completely flat.
A spokesperson for Flintshire council said: “The family is thanked for its forbearance and it is hoped that this outcome will enable them to close this tragic chapter and feel justice has been carried out.”
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