Rocco Wright death: Inquest to hear from lifeguards at Leeds pool
Lifeguards who were on duty at a swimming pool when a three-year-old boy drowned are to be called as witnesses at his inquest.
Rocco Wright was found floating face down in the water at the David Lloyd Leisure club on Tongue Lane in Leeds on 21 April 2018. He and his four-year-old sister had been taken to the pool by their father, Steven Wright, for a swimming lesson. The hearing is due to start on 10 February at Wakefield Coroner's Court. Harry Vann, who represented the club during a pre-inquest review hearing, told coroner Jonathan Leach: "We know that the inquest will touch upon the safety of people using the pool but this ought to be limited, and focused towards the day of the incident itself." Mr Vann said a jury will also hear about an "issue regarding the number of people at the pool on the day of the incident". At the time of his death, Rocco's father said there was confusion over the swimming instructors and he decided to "forget the lesson" and take his children swimming himself "only to realise I couldn't see Rocco". "I checked round the poolside thinking he would be hiding, but devastatingly he wasn't," Mr Wright said previously. "I found him at the far end of pool face down at the bottom." The family's lawyer, Natalie Marrison, said evidence on "how long Rocco was under the water for and issues of that nature" would also be heard. Mr Wright, who was present at the hearing, previously described his son as "the most amazing, happy, joyful boy you could ever wish to meet" and his family were "all totally devastated". David Lloyd Clubs had said it was "deeply shocked" and would work with the authorities during the investigation. Follow BBC Yorkshire on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to yorkslincs.news@bbc.co.uk.