Dad 'drowned as lifeguards talked to girls'

A father of three lay drowning at the bottom of a pool for up to 40 minutes while distracted lifeguards chatted to women, a British court has heard.

Adrian Miles, 48, was swimming to aid the recovery of a spinal injury when he slipped beneath the surface of the pool at Wolverhampton University in 2006, Britain's Daily Mail newspaper reports.

The Wolverhampton Crown Court yesterday heard Mr Miles, who was temporarily paralysed after the injury, informed lifeguards Alex Cotterill and Richard Leek only minutes before that he may suffer difficulties as a result of his condition.

But the men allegedly failed to see Mr Miles was in trouble, despite the fact he was swimming in his own roped-off lane and wearing a mask and snorkel.

The court heard Cotterill, 28, and Leek, 30, were seen talking to the same group of women at the time Mr Moore was drowning.

Prosecutor James Puzey said the men should have detected a problem because it was a small pool with only few swimmers.

"Richard Leek was on duty at the shallow end, a couple of feet from the edge of the pool," he was quoted as saying.

"Alex Cotterill did not stay in position at the deep end and did not patrol the deep-end half.

"From the time he came on duty at 5.05pm he spent his time exclusively or almost exclusively near Richard Leek."

Mr Miles was hauled from the pool at 5.50pm only after being spotted by another swimmer.

The trial continues.