Child and Elderly Woman Critical After Separate Drownings in Canary Islands

A tragic day unfolded in the Canary Islands as two separate water-related incidents resulted in critical injuries to a five-year-old boy and a 68-year-old woman. On Thursday, emergency services were called to respond to two distinct locations where both victims faced life-threatening situations due to drowning.

The first incident occurred shortly after 12:30 PM at a hotel in the municipality of Lanzarote, where a five-year-old boy was found in distress in a swimming pool. The boy, who had experienced a cardiac and respiratory arrest, was rescued from the water by a hotel lifeguard. Emergency personnel from the Servicio de Urgencias Canario (SUC) arrived promptly and succeeded in stabilizing the child after performing life-saving resuscitation techniques.

Following his stabilization, the boy was transported via medical helicopter to the Hospital Materno Infantil de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria for further treatment. The intervention was a joint effort involving the emergency helicopter crew, hotel staff, and the Lanzarote Security, Emergencies, Rescue, Prevention, and Fire Extinction Consortium. The area was secured by local police and fire brigade to ensure swift emergency response.

In a separate incident, a 68-year-old woman was found in a critical condition after being pulled from the sea near Las Alcaravaneras Beach in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. The alert was raised shortly before noon on Thursday, prompting a rapid response from the Centro Coordinador de Emergencias y Seguridad (Cecoes) 1-1-2 of the Canary Government.

Upon being rescued from the water, she received immediate first aid from the Red Cross lifeguard services. Health personnel from SUC subsequently arrived to extend the basic life-support measures initiated by the Red Cross. After managing to stabilize her condition, she was transported in a medicalized ambulance to the Hospital Universitario de Gran Canaria Doctor Negrín, where she was admitted in critical condition.

The incidents underscore the significant risk of aquatic accidents in the Canary Islands, a region where such events are the second most common cause of unnatural death following suicides, according to regional safety reports. Authorities urge awareness and caution around water bodies, especially during peak tourist seasons.

Emergency services emphasize the importance of adequate safety measures in recreational aquatic settings, particularly in areas frequented by tourists. The involvement of professional and prompt rescue operations played a crucial role in both incidents, highlighting the value of coordination among emergency responders.

Source: diariodeavisos.elespanol.com