Deaths of children put fresh focus on villa pools
One-and-half-year-old girl and two-and-halfyear-old cousin drown in Dubai tragedy
The drowning of two children in Dubai on Friday has once again put safety of swimming pools in villas in the spotlight.
Two children died after drowning in a swimming pool in the Mirdif area just after iftar on Friday evening, a Dubai Police officer said yesterday.
The incident happened when members of a family had gathered at a villa for iftar.
The children, one-and-ahalf-year-old girl Suad and her two-and-a-half-year-old cousin Shehab were found missing by the family members. Later, they were found in the pool.
Ambulance and police patrols rushed to the villa which share the swimming pool with five other villas, and tried to revive the girl but she was pronounced dead on the spot.
The boy was taken to Latifa Hospital for treatment, but he died on Saturday.
According to a Gulf News tally, since 2013, at least 13 children have died in drowning incidents in swimming pools at buildings, villas and hotels in the country.
Two Emirati children drowned after falling into a swimming pool in the Mirdif area while their families were having iftar on Friday evening, Dubai police told Gulf News yesterday.
The one-and-a-half-yearold girl, Suad and her two-anda-half-year-old cousin Shehab, ate during iftar before they disappeared.
Brigadier Ahmad Thani Bin Gulaitha, head of Police Stations Council in Dubai Police, said the police were alerted after iftar about the drowning incident in a villa.
“The two children were relatives and they were having iftar. After some time, the parents noticed the kids missing and searched for them. They found them in the swimming pool,” Brigadier Bin Gulaitha said.
Ambulance and police patrols went to the villa which share the pool with other villas, and tried to revive the girl but she was pronounced dead on the spot. The boy was taken to Latifa Hospital for treatment where he died on Saturday.
Door left open by mistake
“There was a door from the kitchen leading directly to the swimming pool. Despite the villa’s owner taking precautionary measures, it seems the door was left open by mistake,” Brigadier Bin Gulaitha added.
The children’s uncle Ahmad Al Hammadi, said that the girl’s mother was invited to have iftar at her sister’s home in Mirdif and that he wasn’t with them when the incident happened.
“My brother called me saying both children drowned in the swimming pool. Suad was the only child for her parents while Shehab has one sister and three older brothers. It is a tragedy and shocking news for the family,” Al Hammadi said.
The two children were buried on Saturday night in Khor Fakkan at Al Sharq cemetery.
“My sisters are still shocked about what happened. We were still recovering as our father died four months ago, and my mother’s uncle died two weeks ago,” he added.
Brigadier Bin Gulaitha, urged the public to monitor their children all the time especially near swimming pools to prevent such tragedies.
“Parents should be careful and lock the doors leading to swimming pools or put a fence around the pools as precautionary measures. Children at this age don’t know what to do — and the pool poses a great danger to them if left unattended.”