Five-Year-Old Boy Airlifted to Gran Canaria After Playa Blanca Pool Incident Has Sadly Died in Hospital
A little boy who was airlifted from Lanzarote to Gran Canaria following a serious swimming pool incident in Playa Blanca has sadly passed away in hospital.
On Thursday, 3 September, emergency services were called to a hotel in Playa Blanca, Yaiza, shortly before 1pm after a five-year-old boy was pulled from the swimming pool showing signs of drowning.
When he was brought from the water, the child was in cardiorespiratory arrest.
A hotel lifeguard, a doctor and other people at the scene immediately began resuscitation efforts while emergency services were on their way. The Servicio de Urgencias Canario (SUC) subsequently continued advanced CPR and, managed to restore the boy’s pulse.
Because of the seriousness of his condition, he was stabilised before being transferred by a medicalised helicopter to the Hospital Universitario Materno Infantil in Gran Canaria, where he was admitted in critical condition.
Sadly, on Friday, 4 September, it was confirmed that the five-year-old had died in hospital.
A devastating outcome
A considerable emergency response was mounted in Playa Blanca. Alongside the SUC medical teams, firefighters from Lanzarote’s emergency service helped secure the area for the helicopter, while Local Police assisted in facilitating the operation.
A lifeguard, a doctor and members of the public immediately began CPR before the emergency teams arrived.
Despite those efforts, and despite his pulse being restored and him being transferred urgently to specialist care in Gran Canaria, his condition remained critical and he sadly could not be saved.
Thoughts are with his family
For the child’s family, what should have been a holiday in the sunshine has ended in an unimaginable tragedy.
We also remember the people who responded to the emergency — the lifeguard, doctor, bystanders, ambulance crews, firefighters, police officers and hospital staff who did everything within their power to help.
The circumstances surrounding the incident remain under investigation.
Our thoughts are with the little boy’s family, his loved ones and everyone affected by this heartbreaking incident.
