Girl, 6, Drowns at Hotel Pool in New Jersey

Girl, 6, Drowns at Hotel Pool in New Jersey
Ambulance waits outside a hospital.(Stefan Wermuth/Reuters)
Epoch Newsroom
7/9/2017
Updated:
7/9/2017

A 6-year-old girl drowned at a hotel pool in Wildwood, New Jersey, according to reports on Sunday, July 9.

The incident occurred at the Nantucket Inn and Suites on Ocean Avenue, 6ABC reported. Police said they received several 911 calls related to the drowning on Saturday afternoon, Fox29 reported.

Guests at the hotel had already removed the unresponsive girl from the pool and were performing CPR on her when the police arrived.

She was later taken to Cape Regional Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead hours later.

Nantucket Inn on Ocean Avenue in Wildwood. (Google Street View)
Nantucket Inn on Ocean Avenue in Wildwood. (Google Street View)

The child had been on vacation with several family members when she ended in the deep end of the swimming pool. ABC reported that she was underwater for several minutes.

The girl’s identity was not disclosed.

Wildwood, N.J. (Google Maps)
Wildwood, N.J. (Google Maps)

Police have said the drowning isn’t considered suspicious. An investigation is ongoing, NJ1015 reported, citing the Wildwood Police.

According to the Mayo Clinic, “Anyone can have a water-related accident—even children who know how to swim.”

It also has a few tips to reduce a child potentially drowning:

-Learn cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Parents and child care providers should know CPR.
Supervise. Never leave children unsupervised near a pool, hot tub or natural body of water.

-During gatherings, adults who know how to swim can take turns being the “designated watcher,” who isn’t distracted. Children under age 4 should be supervised at arm’s length, even if they can swim. Don’t rely on air-filled or foam toys, such as water wings, noodles or inner tubes, to keep children safe.

-Teach children to swim. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, most children age 4 and older can learn to swim. Children ages 1 to 4 might be able to learn depending on their physical and emotional development. Swimming lessons, however, don’t necessarily prevent drowning and aren’t a substitute for adult supervision.

-Avoid alcohol. Don’t drink alcohol when you are boating, swimming or supervising children who are swimming.