Two separate pool incidents in Quebec have left one child dead and one in critical condition in just one day.
On Sunday afternoon, a five-year-old boy fell into the pool in the backyard of his home in Repentigny, Que.
According to local police (SPVR), the boy was under water for about 20 minutes.
He is currently fighting for his life in the hospital.
The pool water was “black and muddy,” according to SPVR spokesman Bruno Marier, which meant the boy was hard to find.
When the first lifeguards arrived, two neighbors were already in the water trying to locate him.
The boy was eventually recovered by a police officer from the background.
Police said Sunday evening that he is still waiting for news of his condition.
The day before, a four-year-old boy from St-Lambert, Greater Montreal, was found unconscious in his family’s backyard pool.
He was pronounced dead at the hospital.
Longueuil (SPAL) police said the family pool was closed and it is currently unclear how the child entered.
“CAN GO IN 15 TO 20 SECONDS”
With the pools starting to open for the summer, the Quebec Life-Saving Society warns guardians to be more vigilant, especially when it comes to young children.
Society director Raynald Hawkins says children should always be closely monitored while near water bodies.
“With young children it can happen in 15 to 20 seconds, it’s quiet,” he said.
He said caregivers should keep their young children within arm’s reach.
“It’s like crossing the street. You always want to hold the kids by the hand. That’s the same reality with the backyard pool.”
Archived by The Canadian Press and CTV’s Touria Izri.