Infant, 60-year-old man die in unrelated drownings

Three other near-drownings reported across the country as summer recreation takes its toll

An 18-month-old infant died in Beersheba’s Soroka Hospital Saturday as a result of drowning in his family’s private pool in the southern city of Omer. Magen David Adom paramedics rushed him to the hospital in critical condition, but doctors were unable to save him.

According to a preliminary police investigation, the toddler’s father was inside his house with another child and did not notice that the baby had wandered out into the yard. Police are considering charging the parents with criminal negligence.

Earlier Saturday, a 60-year-old man drowned at Tel Aviv’s Bograshov beach. Paramedics attempted to resuscitate him but determined his death a short while after he was pulled from the sea.

In Netivot, a 3-year-old girl nearly drowned at a pool in her family’s backyard. MDA teams who arrived at the scene found the toddler unconscious and transported her to the Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba in critical condition.

Maged Davod Adom said that over the last month it has treated 10 near-drowning cases of unattended children.

Also on Saturday, a 50-year-old man was pulled out of the sea in critical condition in Netanya, after drowning at the city’s Sironit beach. Paramedics performed CPR on the man and transported him to the Laniado hospital in the city. The man was also reported to have suffered from head trauma.

Earlier, a 20-year-old man was transported by an MDA team to the Wolfson Medical Center in Holon after drowning at a beach in Jaffa. The man, reportedly an African migrant, was discovered after a passerby noticed him floating on the water, and was reported to be in critical condition.