3-year-old dies after drowning in pool over weekend
Boy was playing by pool as family ate indoors, and apparently removed his water wings before he went into water; 4th child to drown in Israel so far this year
Michael Horovitz is a breaking news editor at The Times of Israel
A 3-year old boy from northern Israel died Wednesday after drowning in a private pool over the weekend.
The incident occurred Saturday when the boy and his family, who live in the Haifa suburb of Nesher, were visiting the home of friends in the town of Atlit.
As the families ate inside, the boy was playing by the pool and apparently took off his water wings before going into the pool.
A neighbor repairing his car on the street who was the first to respond attempted to resuscitate the toddler.
A piece of food was removed from the boy’s mouth, the Walla news site quoted witnesses as saying. It is unclear if the child choked on the piece of food.
Magen David Adom paramedics who arrived at the home said they found the boy unconscious, without a pulse and not breathing.
The boy was resuscitated as he was taken to Ruth Rapaport Children’s Hospital in Haifa, where he was admitted in serious but stable condition. The hospital said he was put on a ventilator when he arrived at the pediatric intensive care unit.
However, on Wednesday his condition deteriorated and he died, the hospital said.
According to data from the organization Beterem — Safe Kids Israel, the boy is the fourth Israeli child to die this year from a drowning-related incident, after 19 died in 2021.
This week, the organization is marking “Child Safety Week” in an effort to stress safety ahead of the summer, when families flock to pools and beaches.
The Times of Israel Community.