A 46-year-old man remains in a critical condition following a near-drowning incident at the public swimming pool in Dolores. The event took place yesterday, Friday 21st August, at approximately 5:30 p.m. when the local resident, who had been snorkelling, failed to resurface. Lifeguards stationed at the municipal facility successfully rescued the man from the water shortly after he went under.
Emergency medical personnel from the SAMU (Emergency Medical Service) were dispatched to the scene, where they performed advanced cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Thanks to the paramedics’ efforts, they managed to restore the man’s pulse. Once he was stabilised on-site, he was transferred to the Vinalopó University Hospital in Elche. He remains in the Intensive Care Unit, where he is currently intubated and in a very serious condition.
The incident occurred during the afternoon while the municipal pool was open to the public. Authorities have not yet released further details regarding the specific circumstances of the drowning or the duration the man spent submerged before the rescue. The rapid intervention of the health services was vital in restoring the man’s vital signs, although his condition continues to be critical.
This recent incident adds to a troubling series of events in the Vega Baja region. Since June, there have been at least five serious drownings or rescue operations at local beaches and swimming pools. The summer season began with two fatalities over the same weekend: a 24-year-old man at Mil Palmeras beach in Pilar de la Horadada, and a swimmer at a cove in Torrevieja. These were followed by the death of a 76-year-old man at Los Náufragos beach in Torrevieja, and the tragic passing of a 19-month-old baby in a swimming pool in Entrenaranjos, Orihuela.
