Died in 55cm-deep Pool
Police Investigate Possible Lapses in Safety Measures
A 9-year-old elementary school student died after his arm became trapped in a drain at a kids' pool villa swimming pool in Gapyeong County, Gyeonggi Province.
According to the police and fire authorities on the 29th, at around 8:35 p.m. the previous evening, a 9-year-old boy, referred to as A, was found unconscious at a kids' pool villa swimming pool in Jojong-myeon, Gapyeong County. Paramedics performed CPR and transported him to the hospital, but he ultimately passed away during treatment.
The police determined that A's arm was stuck in the pool drain, and at the time of discovery, the water depth was approximately 55 centimeters. The police plan to investigate the exact circumstances of the accident and will also look into whether the pool villa operator had insufficient safety measures in place to prevent water-related accidents.
Recently, a series of accidents involving young children have occurred at swimming pools in accommodations such as pensions and pool villas. On the 23rd of last month, a report was filed about a child falling into a swimming pool at a pension in Gangneung City. A 14-month-old boy was transported to the hospital in cardiac arrest.
In February of this year, a fatal accident also occurred at an indoor swimming pool in a pool villa room in Goseong County, Gangwon Province. There was a small pool inside the room, and at around midnight, the parents discovered their 10-month-old child alone in the water. The parents stated, "We noticed the child was missing while we were sleeping and, after searching, found him in the pool."
Experts point out that even shallow water can pose a fatal risk to infants. They unanimously emphasize that, in reality, the best measure is for parents and other guardians to remain vigilant at all times.
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