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'THEY FAILED HIM'
Family of boy, 4, who drowned in Tenerife pool claims lifeguard was ‘chatting to girls’ and ‘froze’ before trying to rescue him
Presley Stockton from Hindley, Wigan, died at the four-star Paradise Park Hotel on Wednesday
THE lifeguard at the Tenerife hotel pool where an four-year-old British lad drowned this week was busy "chatting to girls" at the time, his grief-stricken family has claimed.
They are demanding answers after little Presley Stockton was pronounced dead at the four-star Paradise Park Hotel in Los Cristianos on Wednesday.
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A family source who flew out to support the boy's grieving mum said only one guard was on duty, although the hotel insists two were present.
The relative, who was not on the Jet2 holiday at the time, told Sun Online: "We were told the one lifeguard who was there was too busy chatting to the girls round the pool.
"When he was called to rescue my Presley, he froze and did not have a clue what to do.
The source, a Royal Army engineer of 12 years, added: "The hotel had a duty of care and they failed when Presley was concerned.
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"I know we can't bring my little Presley back but if we can change things for the better it might stop anyone else having to go through the pain we are in right now."
A hotel spokesman told Sun Online there were two lifeguards on duty at the "packed" family pool where Presley was playing.
Describing the death as an "absolute tragedy", he said an ambulance arrived within minutes and took over from the guards who were trying to save him.
But yesterday, another holidaymaker told how Presley's family were the ones trying to revive him after he fell into the water and suffered a cardiac arrest.
Spanish laws on lifeguards at pools
Every communal pool must have a lifeguard on duty during opening hours, according to Spanish lawyeer Maria de Castro.
The lifeguards must also be qualified and have official certification for the role, .
These are how many are required:
- One lifeguard for pools from 200-square-metres to 500-square-metres of water surface.
- Two lifeguards for pools from 500-square-metres to 1,000-square-metres
- For pools bigger than 1,000-square-metres, an addition lifeguard is required for every extra 500-square-metres
If the two pools are separated and there are blindspots, Maria said a lifeguard is required for each one.
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The boy from Hindley, Wigan, was pulled out of the pool at around 3.40pm after the stunned tourist noticed him lying motionless in the pool.
He : "The first thing we noticed was a guy running across and pulling this kid out of the water.
"He was unconscious... Everybody tried their best to do what they could but it was a thankless task."
The guest said the atmosphere at the hotel had been very subdued since and all entertainment was temporarily cancelled.
Brits who drowned in Spanish holiday pools this year
- July 8: Ben Crawford, 19, was swimming in his private villa in Playa d'en Bossa, Ibiza, at around 3am when he got into difficulty. Medics tried to the lad from west Yorkshire but he suffered a cardiac arrest.
- July 28: A four-year-old girl drowned in a rented villa just off Marbella's Golden Mile after climbing from a paddling pool into a full-sized one. Her mum, from Straffan, county Kildare, was distracted for just a moment when she fell in the water, reports claimed.
- September 6: A 24-year-old woman died after being dragged from a swimming pool at Hotel Nautico Ebeso in Ibiza. She reportedly died from a heart attack at Can Misses Hospital.
- September 17: Silvia Philips, 70, drowned in a swimming pool at the Puerto Rico resort on the Spanish island of Gran Canaria. Her cause of death is still being investigated, .
- September 19: Presley Stockton, four, died from a cardiac arrest after being pulled from a swimming pool at the Paradise Park Hotel in Los Cristianos, Tenerife. Cops are investigating the events which led to his death.
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Presley became the fifth Brit to drown on a Spanish holiday in the last few months, with many of the families blaming inadequate security at pools.
Meanwhile friends and loved ones have taken to social media yesterday to share their grief and offer support to Presley's heartbroken family.
His grieving grandfather Mike led the tributes to "one in a million" Presley with touching pics of the youngster.
He wrote: "Today our little P, our little whirlwind Presley, has been taken from us. Our family is broken-hearted, fly high my little Angel."
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Another relative in the UK added: "My heart hurts so much. Sad day today. RIP Presley Stockton. Absolutely devastated."
Well-wisher Jade Disley, offering her support to Presley's mum, said: "What a cruel world we live in. Four is no age to die.
"Can’t imagine to think what Kirsty and her family are going through. Such heartbreaking news."
Laura Francis added: "Heartbreaking news RIP Presley. Thinking of Peter and Kirsty and the family at this awful time."
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And Louise Caddick said: "RIP Little Presley. What a horrible world we live in. Just four-years-old though."
A spokesman for a local government-run emergency response coordination centre confirmed Presley's death.
They said: "Efforts to revive the youngster using CPR proved unsuccessful and he was confirmed dead at the scene.
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"Local police cooperated with the emergency services and cleared an area for an air ambulance to land near the hotel complex. National Police took charge of the body until court workers arrived."
Paradise Park Hotel told Sun Online: "Our thoughts and sympathies are with the family at this tragic time, and we are offering all the support we can.
"We can confirm that there were two lifeguards on duty at the time, however as there is an independent police investigation ongoing we cannot comment any further at this stage."
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