An 11-year-old girl tragically passed away after her hair got entangled in the suction pipe of a swimming pool during a vacation in Italy.
The girl, a resident of Milan, was lodging at a beach resort on the Descalzo promenade in Sestri Levante, Lombardy, when the incident occurred on a Wednesday afternoon. She was found unconscious and was rushed to a hospital in Genoa, where she later succumbed to the accident.
She had entered a small indoor pool with shallow water to escape the scorching heat outside on the beach when her hair got caught in a suction nozzle, pulling her underwater.
Witnesses at the pool attempted to free her, but her hair was firmly trapped. Paramedics arrived promptly, but despite resuscitation efforts, she did not respond. An air ambulance transported her to Gaslini Children’s Hospital in Genoa, where she was admitted to the intensive care unit but sadly did not regain consciousness.
Authorities have initiated an investigation, taking statements from individuals who tried to assist the girl. They are inspecting the pool to determine the cause of the hair entanglement, as reported by Sky TG24.
Following the initial police report, a decision will be made by the prosecutor’s office regarding any potential criminal liability. The mother, who remained at the hospital with her daughter, will also be questioned about the sequence of events.
This incident adds to a concerning series of accidents where individuals, predominantly children, have been trapped in suction pipes at swimming pools in Italy and other nations.
Nello Musumeci, Italy’s Minister for Civil Protection and Maritime Policies, along with Health Minister Orazio Schillaci, have jointly endorsed a bill to enforce stricter safety measures at pools.
Musumeci emphasized the need for stringent regulations and heightened vigilance to prevent such tragedies, especially stressing the importance of never leaving children unattended in water. The proposed bill is set for expedited approval by the relevant committee to enhance pool safety measures promptly.