A three-year-old British girl is in a critical condition after being pulled unconscious from a hotel swimming pool while on holiday with her family on the Greek island of Rhodes.
The incident occurred around midday at a hotel in Lardos, in the island’s south. CCTV footage reportedly shows the toddler was submerged for up to ten minutes, hidden from view beneath several inflatable toys.
A British doctor staying at the same resort is understood to have dived into the water and performed CPR before emergency services arrived. The girl was initially taken to Rhodes General Hospital, where doctors diagnosed severe brain swelling and said she showed no response to stimuli on arrival.
She was later airlifted to the University Hospital in Heraklion, Crete, where neurosurgeons performed an operation to relieve pressure on her brain. Medical staff have described “minimal activity” in some areas of her brain, and she remains in intensive care.
Police on Rhodes have arrested two people in connection with the incident - the child’s 44-year-old uncle and the 54-year-old hotel manager - as part of their investigation into possible negligence. According to local reports, the hotel manager’s lawyer has argued that the pool is small enough that a lifeguard was not legally required under Greek safety regulations.
Authorities are now examining how the girl entered the pool, how long she was submerged before being discovered, and what safety protocols were in place at the hotel.
Michalis Sokorelos, director of Rhodes Hospital, said the child had “obviously stayed in the water for a long time” and was “not reacting at all” when brought in.
The UK Foreign Office has confirmed it is providing consular support to the girl’s family and is in contact with Greek authorities.
The case has reignited debate in Greece over hotel pool safety standards and supervision, particularly during the busy summer and early autumn holiday season when many resorts host young families.
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