A four-year-old boy drowned in a swimming pool at a coastal beach bar in the Pounta area of Paros shortly after 15:00 on Saturday afternoon. Two women present at the seaside venue were reportedly the first to notice the child inside the water. A bartender working at the beach bar dived into the pool and pulled the child out.
The boy's father ran over immediately after his daughter called out to warn him that her brother was in the pool. The father performed CPR and gave mouth-to-mouth resuscitation on the pool deck while family members screamed and cried. The bartender told the father at the scene that he only saw the boy at the last moment and could not save him.
Rescue attempt and medical response
A doctor who happened to be at the beach bar assisted with resuscitation efforts until paramedics arrived at the location. Emergency responders transferred the child to an ambulance and continued attempts to revive him during transport to the Health Centre.
At the Health Centre, a medical team spent 40 minutes attempting to restore the boy's breathing. A doctor and an assistant continuously performed chest compressions and administered oxygen. Despite the efforts of paramedics and medical staff, the child could not be revived and was pronounced dead.
Lack of safety equipment
The father stated that the family was seated roughly 10 metres away from the pool in a dining area. He explained that he was engaged in conversation and lost sight of his son for a single second before the boy walked over, slipped, and fell into the pool. He added that security camera footage from the venue confirms the family was not at the sea and shows the child was at the pool.
An employee at the venue stated to STAR that the family was eating at the lower restaurant when the child left behind their backs. The employee noted that five to ten minutes passed before anyone realized the boy was missing. The family had ordered food and left their plates half full, having not finished their meal.
The employee added that the manager of the business was working inside the pool engine room when the incident occurred. Meanwhile, the father alleged that the beach bar lacked essential safety equipment, stating there was no automated external defibrillator, no first aid kit, and no safety measures on the premises.
The father argued that constant supervision by a dedicated lifeguard could have prevented the tragedy. He claimed that the individual claiming to be the owner and lifeguard is a 68-year-old man who was wearing a hat and shirt while using an earpiece to direct staff on table placements for arriving guests. The father emphasized that retrieving the child from the water was outside the bartender's duties and confirmed that he plans to pursue legal action against the establishment.
Legal proceedings and owner defence
The child's grandfather expressed outrage over the lack of safety personnel at the business. He stated that his grandson died because no lifeguard was present at the pool. He argued that a venue generating millions in summer revenue with a large staff and heavy customer traffic ought to employ a lifeguard, stating those responsible deserved hanging in Syntagma Square.
Following the drowning, authorities detained the beach bar owner and brought him before a prosecutor, who subsequently released him. Both the owner of the beach bar and the child's parents face charges of negligent manslaughter in connection with the death.
Defense attorney Haris Abrazis, who represents the accused owner, defended his client's management of the business. Abrazis stated that the owner is always present at the premises, works continuously to oversee operations, and maintains high alertness at all times.
