A Dundee mum has told how her “world stopped” as her daughter got into difficulties in the city’s main swimming pool.
Linda Findlay’s nine-year-old daughter Georgie was swimming at the Olympia on Saturday when she got into difficulties.
Out of her sight for a moment, the Claypotts Castle primary five pupil was spotted face-down and floating “lifelessly” in the deep end by horrified swimmers.
She was plucked from the water and resuscitated at poolside by lifeguards and Carnoustie man Stephen Goligher, who Linda credits with saving her daughter’s life.
“It all happened so fast and I don’t actually have much idea about everything that happened,” said Linda, 29, from the city’s Douglas area.
“Georgie is a good swimmer and I was looking out for her every now and then to make sure she was fine.
“Then I saw a man carrying a child out of the pool and start giving her mouth-to-mouth and a lifeguard begin chest compressions.
“My first thought was ‘oh my god’ but then I noticed that she was wearing the same swimming costume as Georgie and my world stopped.”
The Courier reported on Monday how Mr Goligher, who was at the pool with his son, entered the water to carry Georgie to safety.
Linda said he was undoubtedly the family’s hero.
“If it wasn’t for him then she would be dead,” she said.
“There is no doubt about that.
“We owe Georgie’s life to him,” she added.
In the wake of the incident there was some criticism of the speed of response of lifeguards to the incident.
A spokesman for Leisure & Culture Dundee, which operates the Olympia pool, stressed the quality of the training offered to staff, however, while also thanking lifeguards and Mr Goligher for their intervention.
A review of the incident has already taken place and the findings will be reported to the organisation’s Health and Safety group “in due course”.
The spokesman said: “The first responder was a Leisure & Culture Dundee lifeguard who was assisted by a member of the public to take the girl to poolside.
“She left Olympia fully conscious, but as a precaution she was taken to Ninewells Hospital by the Scottish Ambulance Service for observation.
“Our lifeguard training has been recognised as one of the strongest in the UK and is externally verified.
“We acknowledge the good work of our lifeguards and thank the member of the public for his assistance.”