A 24-year-old man tragically drowned in a paddling pool with just nine inches of water after collapsing at his family home in Doncaster.
Roan Bloore had been emptying the children’s paddling pool in the back garden on June 26 when he fell unconscious and slumped forward into the shallow water. He remained there for around 10 minutes before he was discovered.
Emergency services managed to restart his heart and rushed him to hospital. However, his brain had been starved of oxygen for too long, leading to catastrophic organ failure. Roan passed away shortly afterwards.
His parents, Michael and his wife, were on holiday when the accident happened and desperately tried to return in time to say goodbye. But they were delayed by roadworks and traffic—and heartbreakingly arrived just ten minutes too late.
Speaking to MailOnline, Roan’s father said: “I’m ripped to pieces, one of my babies is gone. I had four children and now I have three. It’s like a nightmare I can’t wake up from. If he took it down when I suggested it wouldn’t have been like this.”
The paddling pool had been set up weeks earlier for Roan’s nieces and nephews during a family gathering. Days before the accident, the family had enjoyed a garden party together.
Roan’s sister Abigail launched a GoFundMe appeal to help cover the funeral costs. “Roan was emptying a paddling pool in our back garden when he has fallen into it and sadly drowned,” she wrote. “His heart was restarted after an hour of trying by paramedics, they managed to get his heart restarted in hospital but damage had already been done due to lack of oxygen, this led to his organs failing and he sadly passed away.”
She added that the family, who are on benefits due to medical issues, are struggling to fund the funeral. “He had no life insurance or estate but at 24 who would? They’ve applied for help from the DWP but this only covers up to £1,000. The price of the funeral we are wanting is only £2,250, it’s nothing too big.”
Roan’s sister Katie also shared a tribute on Facebook: “R.I.P Roan Bloore. I love you more than words can say, we will forever miss you big bro. Hope you have fun up there.
“I would like to thank close family, friends, neighbours, NHS and the police for all that you did to help. It comes with so much sadness that our boy didn’t make it. Our hearts are truly broken. Again, thank you for all that you did.”
The tragic incident serves as a harrowing reminder that even a small amount of water can be dangerous in the wrong circumstances.
