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Chronicle Live
National
Charlotte Smith

British toddler 'drowns in swimming pool' in Spain despite neighbour's attempts to save him

A British toddler has reportedly drowned in a swimming pool in Costa Blanca, Spain, despite efforts by a neighbour to save his life. The 19-month-old boy was pulled out of the water unconscious on Wednesday evening (May 25).

Paramedics attended to the boy after an air ambulance arrived at the private pool in Aigues, southwest of Benidorm, as a neighbour tried to save the boy's life, Spanish newspaper El Mundo reports. However efforts to revive him failed and he was pronounced dead at the scene.

A spokesperson for a regional government emergency response coordination centre said: "At 6.15pm yesterday we were informed a little boy had been pulled out of a private swimming pool in Aigues. We mobilised an air ambulance and a basic life support ambulance. A neighbour performed resuscitation techniques until the medical response teams arrived."

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They added: "Once they were there, the medical responders continued with advanced CPR and other resuscitation techniques but they were unable to save the child, a 19-month-old toddler who was pronounced dead at the scene."

An investigation into the tragedy is underway and sources have confirmed the youngster who died was British. The incident occurred at a private residential estate called El Paraiso in Aigues, which is home to under 1,000 people.

It is unknown if the young boy was on holiday with his family or lives in Spain, but some reports suggest the family had recently moved to the area, although this is yet to be confirmed. A spokesman for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said: "We are supporting the family of a British child, who has died in Spain. Our thoughts are with the family at this very sad time."

The incident comes shortly after two others in the area involving British nationals, both on May 9. Expat Ingrid Dale, 67, originally from Norfolk, passed away after going to anaphylactic shock from a wasp sting in a restaurant in Costa Blanca.

Later the same day a British man drowned in a nearby river at a beauty spot a short drive from the Costa Blanca resort of Benidorm, which had claimed the lives of three other people in the past month as he tried to save his dog.

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