Toddler drowns in a family pool in southern Israel

An 18-month-old toddler drowned in his family’s pool Friday in the southern community of Be’er Ganim, near Ashkelon, medics and police said.

Paramedics found the child unconscious on the front porch after he had been pulled from the water, the Magen David Adom ambulance service said in a statement.

He was taken to Barzilai Medical Center in Ashkelon while medics tried to resuscitate him. Doctors were forced to declare the toddler’s death shortly after his arrival, the hospital said in a statement.

Police said they’d opened an investigation into the incident, and a welfare team from the Hof Ashkelon Regional Council visited the home where the tragedy occurred.

According to data from the Beterem organization for children’s safety, three children have died of drowning since the start of 2023.

Orly Silbinger, the head of Beterem, warned parents that drownings can happen quietly, “because a drowning child can’t scream, can’t cry and can’t call for help when his nose is filled with water.”

“In a few minutes, he loses consciousness, and after six to eight minutes, there is irreversible brain damage and death,” Silbinger said, urging parents and guardians to ensure safety measures are taken when children are around water.