Witness recalls how boy drowned in lake

A footballer told a court yesterday of the minutes before a Charlton Athletic youth team member drowned on an Army course.

Chris Taylor, 19, said he had been at the front of an endurance run on Aldershot Common in August 2000 arranged by Army Staff Sergeant Dean May when the tragedy occurred. Sergeant May denies the manslaughter by gross negligence of Pierre Bolangi, 17, and failing to take care of the health and safety of staff and trainees of Charlton Athletic.

Mr Taylor told Winchester Crown Court that the party was on the third day of a course to build teamwork and fitness when Sergeant May decided to go on a run with 14 boys and two members of Charlton staff. Mr Taylor said the boys were in army overalls and had been running for about 45 minutes when Sergeant May, 35, a senior NCO with the Army's School of Physical Training asked: "Does anybody fancy a swim?"

Mr Taylor said they ran for another 30 seconds and when a lake appeared they ran into it. He said he was soon out of his depth in the "freezing" water.

When they reached the bank on the other side, Mr Taylor said he saw lots of splashing and that someone asked: "Where's Bolangi?

"It was just arms everywhere, that's all I can remember seeing." Mr Taylor said he ran around the edge of the lake to see his colleagues gasping and shivering on the bank. "Dean May was now at the spot where everyone was. He was diving under and coming back up."

Mr Taylor said the group was taken away from the lake. "It was quiet, people were crying, some people were angry, shock really, some people could not believe what was happening," he said.

The prosecution alleges that Sergeant May gave no instructions before going into the weed-infested lake. The jury was told many boys got into trouble and Bolangi became isolated and drowned.

The trial continues.