Dad's horror as 'fit and healthy' son, 21, becomes third death in hotel pool in 5 years

The father of a fit and healthy rugby player has criticised a hotel and authorities after his 21-year old son tragically drowned in a hotel swimming pool in , unnoticed by lifeguards. Ben Woods, a roofer and player for Leigh East in , was found lifeless under the water by other swimmers at King Evalthon Beach Hotel and Resort in Paphos, Cyprus.

He had been playing volleyball in July 2022 while lifeguards were allegedly distracted by their phones, a UK inquest into his death heard. Despite an investigation revealing that the hotel did not have a licence to operate the swimming pool, no action was taken against them.

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The grieving father claimed there had been three deaths at the pool in five years. Ben, his brother Joshua - a professional rugby league player - their parents, and Ben's uncle and his family, were on a family holiday when the tragedy occurred.

In a statement read out at on Wednesday (April 23, 2025), Ben's father Michael Woods said his son began a plumbing apprenticeship after leaving Lowton High School and later became a roofer. He played rugby league from the age of 11 and later joined the amateur side Leigh East where he enjoyed playing 'with his mates'.

Mr Woods shared that his son didn't partake in recreational drugs, lived a 'healthy lifestyle' and only enjoyed a 'social drink' on Saturday nights due to his work commitments during the week and rugby training or matches on Saturdays. His son had 'no significant health issues', the inquest heard, reports .

The family had been holidaying in Cyprus for 30 years, where they owned a villa, and travelled to the island in July 2022 for their usual summer break, staying at King Evalthon Beach Hotel and Resort in Pathos, Mr Woods explained.

He described the hotel's pool as 'quite large', divided by a bridge over its centre, but noted that the lifeguards were positioned at one end, leaving them unable to monitor activities on the other side of the bridge.

Ben, who was a 'decent swimmer', joined a volleyball session organised by the hotel after lunch, which started an hour later than scheduled at 4.40pm, Mr Woods said. He was alerted by one of his nephews that Ben was 'not breathing'.

Mr Woods senior revealed that when he reached the poolside, members of the public were performing CPR on his son. He was informed that two lifeguards had 'been messing on their phones' at the other end of the pool and had 'neglected' the other part of the pool which they couldn't see because of the bridge.

Mr Woods, criticised the ambulance service, stating that it was 'quite obvious they were not trained paramedics just trained drivers'. He and his wife, who has 25 years of experience in healthcare, felt that the paramedics 'didn't seem to have a clue'.

He revealed that it took the ambulance 25 minutes to reach the hospital. The family was then left waiting in the hospital car park for another half an hour before being informed that their son was critically ill. They were later told at 8pm that he had tragically passed away.

"We were all devastated and shocked to lose Ben so suddenly. His death has been painful for all his family and friends," Mr Woods expressed in his statement.

He also accused the police and hospital staff of showing 'no empathy' towards his family. He claimed that the cause of death on their records was changed from 'heart attack' to 'inconclusive'.

When summoned to the police station the following day, they were 'shown no empathy or dignity', according to him. He refused to sign a statement given by local police as it contained inaccuracies they wouldn't correct and they refused to provide him with a copy.

The Woods family faced further distress when they discovered that the local legal system had 'no criminal process' in place for such incidents. At a UK inquest, it emerged that the hotel lacked a licence for the pool, and although a Cypriot judge ruled out foul play, calling it a 'straight-forward drowning', he admitted the police were wrong to withhold crucial documents from the grieving family, offering an apology for their treatment.

Describing the incident as a 'scene of chaos', Mr Woods condemned the hotel's response, highlighting the lifeguard's inability to use a defibrillator and the staff's lack of empathy and respect towards his family during the ordeal. He lamented how that this was said to be the third death at the same pool within five years, stating it was unacceptable.

Mr Woods paid tribute to his son, saying: "Ben was a brilliant, enthusiastic and fine young man living his best life and his absence will leave a massive hole in our lives."

In a harrowing account, holidaymaker Dawn Wingfield, who witnessed the tragedy, recalled spotting a 'shadow' under the water and immediately raising the alarm. Despite her efforts and those of another bather who retrieved Ben from the pool, their attempts at CPR were ultimately in vain.

Ms Wingfield, who was deeply distressed by the incident, claimed that a lifeguard returned with a defibrillator but seemed unsure of how to use it. She said it appeared as though they hadn't received proper training.

She also noted that local police didn't approach her for a statement and the hotel carried on as normal for the rest of their holiday.

She was so shaken by the event that she wouldn't let her children near the pool for the remainder of their stay.

According to documents referred to at the inquest, lifeguard Charalambos Charalambous stated that a colleague attached the defibrillator which initially helped Ben breathe, but his breathing then stopped. Shakira Ryan, a nurse and fellow holidaymaker, also tried to help but reported that the defibrillator wasn't functioning correctly.

West Senior Coroner Timothy Brennand described the situation as the "worst possible nightmare imaginable". He recorded a verdict of accidental death, stating that Ben had been medically fit and a competent swimmer, but was found unresponsive underwater.

Brennand added that the lifeguards were not nearby and therefore did not see Ben at the bottom of the pool. He was not directly observed underwater by the guards on duty.

Ben was rushed to a hospital in Pathos but sadly passed away later. A post-mortem examination conducted in Cyprus, and accepted by the UK coroner, concluded that he died of acute pneumonia caused by the aspiration of gastric contents and terminal cardio-respiratory failure.

Blood tests, conducted in Cyprus six months after his tragic death, revealed that Ben had 106mg of alcohol per 100mls of blood. The legal limit for driving in the UK is 80mg.

Mr Brennand stated that it remains unclear how the aspiration occurred and found that Mr Woods had consumed only a 'modest amount of alcohol'.

"He was a young man who had had a good time enjoying himself. He was actively aware of his own health. He was generally quite abstemious because of his sporting prowess. Looking at the totality of the evidence he was prepared to enjoy a social drink in that context," said Mr Brennand, who added it would be 'wholly wrong' for anyone to conclude alcohol 'could be regarded as a causative or contributory factor'.

He noted that the incident occurred after lunch and that he was 'engaged in physical activity' by playing volleyball and this may have caused him to draw water into his lungs. The coroner labelled the incident a 'tragic accident' which caused the 'worst possible nightmare imaginable' for his parents.

Following the inquest, the Woods family released a statement saying it 'respects' the outcome reached by the coroner and asked for privacy 'for the space to mourn Ben privately'.

His brother, Josh Woods, who played for professional rugby league side Newcastle Thunder in the Championship, a division below the sport's top flight, posted on shortly after his brother's death: "The best person ever my brother my best friend and my hero I love you so much and just want this be a nightmare. Fly high up there Ben RIP."

Ben's funeral was a large gathering, with around 1,300 people in attendance to pay their respects.

Leigh East, the rugby club Ben played for, shared their heartbreak at the news of his passing: "It is with the greatest sadness we have to announce the passing of Ben Woods, one of our young Open Age players, after an accident on holiday with his family."

In a touching tribute, the club remembered Ben fondly: "Ben had played at Leigh East from a very young age and had progressed through the age groups to become a valuable member of our club. Ben was always there with a cheeky smile and will be sorely missed."

"Our thoughts and condolences go out to Mick, Mel and Josh, his family and friends at this saddest of times. RIP young man, you will never be forgotten."