A British toddler, identified as Matilda, tragically passed away after falling into a hotel swimming pool while on vacation in Greece. The incident occurred in Lardos, a coastal town on Rhodes Island, on October 14. Matilda, just three years old, had been vacationing with her family when the unfortunate accident took place.
Following the incident, the child was discovered unconscious at the bottom of the pool in a hotel complex. Allegedly, her 44-year-old uncle, who was responsible for supervising her at the time, had left her unattended for approximately 10 minutes. A British doctor present at the scene immediately sprang into action, entering the pool to rescue the child and administering CPR until paramedics arrived.
Matilda was subsequently transported to the General Hospital of Rhodes, where she received intubation before being transferred to a hospital in Crete. Despite the medical efforts, she was later airlifted to England but, sadly, did not survive.
In response to the tragic incident, law enforcement arrested the child’s uncle and a 54-year-old travel agency manager responsible for the hotel guests. Additionally, the 57-year-old hotel owner and the hotel’s director are also facing charges related to the child’s death.
An investigation conducted on-site highlighted lapses in safety measures at the hotel. It was revealed that there was no lifeguard on duty, no rescue equipment near the pool where the incident occurred, and no designated supervisor present at the time.
Legal representatives for the uncle and the hotel manager have presented arguments in defense of their clients. The uncle’s lawyer, Antonis Zervos, contended that his client was not in close proximity to the child at the time of the incident. Meanwhile, the hotel manager’s lawyer claimed that the pool’s size did not necessitate the presence of a lifeguard as per legal requirements.
Authorities are currently reviewing CCTV footage to ascertain the circumstances surrounding the tragedy. The investigation remains ongoing as they seek to determine the events leading up to the child’s fall into the pool. A bystander who was lounging nearby noticed the child in distress, pulled her out of the water, and promptly raised the alarm.
Medical professionals attending to Matilda had informed the family early on that the brain injury she sustained was irreversible. The hospital director, Michalis Sokorelos, described her condition as “brain dead,” emphasizing the gravity of the situation. He noted that due to the prolonged time she spent submerged in the water, Matilda showed no signs of responsiveness.