A lifting apparatus 10 and associated method for raising a user in a body of water 22, such as a swimming pool, comprises a platform 16 configured to receive a wheelchair 12 the apparatus 10 is reconfigurable between a raised configuration a lowered configuration and a storage configuration the apparatus 10 maintains the platform 16 in a substantially horizontal orientation in the raised, lowered and storage configurations. The apparatus 10 preferable includes a linkage assembly 30 including first 34 and second 38 link arms and four pivots 36, 40, 42, 44 forming a four bar or parallelogram link assembly.
