Lifeguards at a Witham leisure centre have been praised for their professional handling of a suspected spinal injury.

During a fun session at the Bramston swimming pool and shortly after began to lose the feeling in his arms and legs.

Fearing a spinal injury, an operation involving 11 members of staff and two paramedics, began to move the teenager from the inflatable without moving his spine.

After getting Andrew, 13, onto a spinal board he was taken to Broomfield Hospital in Chelmsford where it was revealed his loss of feeling was caused by muscle cramps and not a back injury.

Despite Friday's incident turning out to be less serious than was at first thought, the members of staff involved have been praised for their handling of the incident.

Andrew's mother Christine Moriarty, of Highfields, Witham, said: "I am very grateful for the way the pool staff handled the situation.

"They took all the necessary precautions and did the best they could and I would like to thank all of them for helping Andrew."

Pool manager Dave Clint said: "I'm really impressed with how they reacted to what could have been a potentially much worse situation.

"The lifeguards handled themselves professionally and were a credit to themselves and their training."

What a team - Andrew Moriarty with Bramston leisure centre staff who helped him in the swimming pool

Picture: STEVE BAINBRIDGE

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