‘Drowned Swimmer’ Seeks Seven-Figure Compensation

A woman who almost drowned as a child and was left with lifetime disabilities is upholding her battle for compensation more than ten years after the incident.

In July 2000, a ten-year-old Annie Woodland was swimming at Gloucester Park Swimming Pool when she narrowly avoided drowning. When lifeguards finally pulled her from the water, Annie had stopped breathing and the lack of oxygen to her brain left her with severe learning difficulties.

Through her father, Miss Woodland, now 20, is claiming up to £3million damages from the Swimming Teachers Association, which arranged insurance for the firm running the class.

The case has been plagued by "deeply depressing" delays, said Lord Justice Ward this week, and in 2007 Miss Woodland appeared to have won the right to compensation when the association's lawyers announced they would accept liability for the accident.

However, in July 2009 this admission was retracted. The association's defence rests upon a 2001 Health and Safety Executive (HSE) report stating Miss Woodland had been "rescued promptly" from the pool.

Miss Woodland's lawyers are now launching a fully contested liability trial against the association.

"I fully understand Mr and Mrs Woodland will be distressed by this decision and will feel utter consternation that, so many years after this terrible accident and after an admission of liability, suddenly and unexpectedly they have to prepare for a trial on all fronts," added Lord Justice Ward.

"I am totally sympathetic. Some of the delay is, on the facts known to us, inexplicable and one can readily see how matters could have taken a wholly different course."