British holidaymakers have described the frantic search by parents of a 4-year-old girl who drowned in a swimming pool at the HL Playa Blanca resort in Lanzarote on Saturday. The girl was pulled from the main pool after going missing, but despite CPR efforts by guests and a site nurse, she could not be revived.
Lifeguard Absence Questioned
Guests at the 164-room, 4-star resort reported that the lifeguard was not at their post at the time of the incident and was often assigned to towel duty. Jake Rhodes, a holidaymaker, told Metro: 'It was all such a shock. I don't know what the lifeguard was doing at the time but sometimes he wasn't at his post. It was by the main pool. But I don't know where the parents were. I think she ran off and they were trying to find her.'
Emergency Response
Ambulances, police, and an emergency services helicopter were called at around 1:30 pm. A spokesman for the Canary Islands Government's Emergency and Security Coordination Centre said: 'The 112 service immediately mobilised the necessary emergency resources. A coordinating nurse confirmed that the girl had gone into cardiac arrest and gave instructions to begin resuscitation manoeuvres.' The death is not being treated as suspicious.
Spate of Child Drownings
This incident is part of a series of child drownings across Spain, with six deaths reported in 72 hours in Catalonia, the Balearic Islands, Andalusia, and the Canary Islands. Sebastián Quintana, an expert in drowning prevention, warned: 'The lack of attention, supervision, or even absence at the bathing area by the adults in charge is the main cause of these human tragedies. A child won't scream for help. Drowning is a very quick and silent event.' He noted that in nine out of ten cases, parents were absent when their child drowned.
Resort Response
Hoteles Lopez, which operates the resort, has been approached for comment. No further details about the victim or family have been released.
