A four-year-old British girl drowned in the main pool at the HL Playa Blanca resort in Lanzarote on Saturday, with holidaymakers describing the frantic search by her parents. The incident is one of six child drownings across Spain in 72 hours, sparking renewed calls for constant supervision near water.
Witness Accounts of the Incident
Jake Rhodes, a guest at the 4-star resort, 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. I saw them doing CPR and doing everything, trying to save the poor girl.'
Other guests questioned why the lifeguard was not at their post when the girl went missing, noting that lifeguards were also regularly assigned to towel duty at the 164-room resort. The girl was pulled from the pool unresponsive, and attempts to revive her by other guests and a site nurse were unsuccessful.
Emergency Response and Official Statements
Ambulances, police, and an emergency services helicopter were called to the scene 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, present in the operations room, confirmed during her interview with the lifeguard that the girl had gone into cardiac arrest and gave instructions to begin resuscitation manoeuvres.'
Her death is not being treated as suspicious, and no further details about the victim or her family have been released.
Broader Context of Child Drownings in Spain
This incident is part of a spate of child drownings across Spain, with another British four-year-old drowning in a pool near the Costa del Sol, bringing the total to six in 72 hours. Sebastián Quintana, an expert in drowning prevention, said the deaths occurred in Catalonia, the Balearic Islands, Andalusia, and the Canary Islands.
Quintana 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.' According to Quintana, in nine out of ten cases, parents were absent when their child drowned.
Resort Response
Hoteles Lopez, which operates the HL Playa Blanca resort, has been approached for comment but has not yet responded. The incident highlights the critical need for constant vigilance and proper lifeguard supervision at hotel pools.
