A one-year-old baby of British nationality is in critical condition in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the Materno Infantil University Hospital in Gran Canaria. The serious incident occurred this Monday in the swimming pool of a hotel complex located in La Oliva, Fuerteventura, where the child had been on vacation with her family for just three days.
The event took place around ten in the morning. The infant was found in cardiorespiratory arrest, requiring immediate resuscitation maneuvers at the scene. Subsequently, she was urgently transferred by a medicalized helicopter from the Canary Islands Emergency Service (SUC) to the hospital in Gran Canaria.
The medical team attending to the baby has expressed their "deep concern" regarding her condition. According to statements from Chano Quintana, director of the 'Canarias 1.500 km de Costa' platform, medical staff are "not too optimistic" about the possibility of her overcoming this "very, very serious drowning episode," given the prolonged cardiorespiratory arrest, which significantly worsens her prognosis.
The emergency response included an SUC ambulance, a doctor and nurse from the Corralejo Health Center, firefighters from the municipality to secure the helicopter's landing on a nearby football field, and agents from the Guardia Civil and Local Police who collaborated in the operation.
A second of distraction can be fatal
This tragic event adds to a worrying statistic in the Canary Islands. Chano Quintana recalled that so far in 2026, the archipelago has recorded nearly 30 drowning deaths and over 90 people affected by aquatic accidents. Quintana emphasized the vulnerability of minors, noting that in addition to this baby, another 6 or 7 children have suffered critical drowning episodes this year. He reiterated the importance of constant supervision of children in aquatic environments, warning that "one cannot even look away or move away from a child" when they are near water.
