A quick-thinking local resident has saved the life of a three-year-old boy who was rescued from the bottom of a swimming pool during a celebration in the municipality of Elche. The toddler had suffered a drowning incident and required resuscitation before the emergency services arrived at the scene.
The story was shared by the Elche Local Police on their social media channels to raise awareness about the vital importance of constantly supervising children in swimming pools and other aquatic environments.
The life-saving rescue was carried out by Nabil, a 33-year-old shopkeeper and the son of migrant parents. The events took place two weeks ago during a gathering that Nabil was attending alongside several friends. His attention was drawn to the poolside when he noticed the worried expression of the toddler’s older brother, who was standing by the water with his hands on his head, staring intently into the pool.
Upon looking closer to investigate the situation, Nabil discovered that the young boy was submerged at the bottom of the swimming pool. Without a second thought, he dived into the water, pulled the child out, and immediately began performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) manoeuvres.
Although Nabil does not have formal medical or healthcare training and had never performed such an intervention before, he explained that he reacted by following basic first aid knowledge he had previously acquired out of personal interest. After approximately two minutes of performing the life-saving manoeuvres, he successfully managed to get the child to revive and react.
Following his initial actions, officers from the Elche Local Police and medical teams arrived to take over the care of the child. Reflecting on the ordeal, Nabil highlighted that remaining calm, moving quickly, and contacting emergency services immediately are absolutely critical actions during an emergency.
The Local Police have used this incident to urge the public to exercise extreme caution and maintain non-stop supervision of minors around water, particularly during the summer months. Officers warned that child drownings generally happen silently, in a matter of seconds, and often without any obvious noise or warning signs. Consequently, they advise adults to assign monitoring shifts, eliminate distractions, and learn basic CPR techniques. They also reminded the public to call 112 immediately in any emergency and strictly follow the guidance of professionals until assistance arrives.
