An 18-month-old boy died on Tuesday, 2 Menachem Av 5773 when he drowned in the family pool. The small inflatable pool was placed on a deck of their building on Arlozorov Street in Bat Yam. The toddler was in the water together with five siblings, the oldest being 10. They realized at some point that he was under the water and called mom for assistance. She pulled him out and in her panic telephoned Magen David Adom. A paramedic in the dispatch center began giving the mother instructions to resuscitate the child as paramedics were responding.

Paramedic Nir Handler explains when he arrived on the scene and saw the mother next to the lifeless body of the toddler, who was in cardiac arrest. She had pulled him out of the pool situated on the roof of their apartment. Despite advanced life support and CPR the child could not be resuscitated and he was pronounced dead on the scene. The mom, in her ninth month of pregnancy was horrified when she realized her little one was gone.

MDA officials urge all parents and caretakers not to leave children unattended in pools, not even for a moment, stressing the importance of maintaining a watchful eye over children during swimming. MDA officials add that even pools that appear safe, inflatable pools that are not deep pose a hazard and children mustn’t be left unattended.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)