A drowning whose cause is quite unusual took place in Les Sables-d’Olonne this weekend. Ouest-France explains that an 8-year-old girl drowned on Saturday in a swimming pool in this locality of Vendée after her hair got stuck in the drain of the installation.
The drain is a hole located at the bottom of the basin or on the side and allowing the flow and the filtering of the water. A suction phenomenon may occur and constitute a hazard.
The facts occurred in a campsite. A lifeguard and a witness to the scene tried to help the young Dutch girl. Firefighters and paramedics rushed to the scene. But rescuers were unable to revive the child.
The lifeguard was taken care of psychologically. An investigation is open to determine the causes of this fatal accident. In 2021, nearly 1,500 drownings, of which 400 were fatal, took place during the summer period.