Lifeguards rescued a 16-month-old girl and seven-year-old boy who were at risk of drowning this weekend, in two separate incidents. 

The close calls have prompted the Malta Red Cross to warn adults to keep a closer eye on children while at the beach. 

“Unfortunately, these sort of incidents happen very often.  Most incidents happen because parents get distracted for a few minutes and children are unpredictable,” said Robert Brincau from the Malta Red Cross.

One child a week is admitted on average to Mater Dei Hospital in summer due to a drowning or near-drowning incident, according to a consultant paediatrician Simon Attard Montalto.

He explained that most of the drowning or near-drowning incidents took place in pools and the sea, but some also took place in baths. Attard Montalto spoke to Times of Malta after the news of the death of a six-month-old girl who drowned in a bath in St Paul’s Bay. A magisterial inquiry into the incident is currently under way.

Two rescues in one day

Lifeguards at local beaches were kept busy this Sunday, with two incidents involving children reported that day. 

Brincau said the first incident happened at Delimara, where a 16-month old girl was playing on the shore when she slipped into the sea.

Two girls who happened to be close by lifted her head out of the water while a lifeguard who noticed the incident arrived soon after, lifted her out of the water and put her in the recovery position. Thankfully the toddler regained consciousness, said Brincau.

In another case that happened on Sunday in Golden Bay, a seven-year-old boy was alone in the sea, playing in the waves, when he suddenly started struggling to remain afloat once pulled into deeper waters. 

A similar case occurred in Golden Bay earlier this month, Brincau said, when a 10-year-old boy was left alone in the sea on a red flag day.

“He was playing with waves in the shallow so it felt safe. Then a wave came and pulled him under. The lifeguard had been watching and was with him by the second wave,” said Brincau.

People drown in silence

Brincau said parents "sometimes get defensive" when told by lifeguards to keep a closer eye on their children. 

He recalled an incident in Mellieħa last Saturday, when two 12-year-old girls were allowed to drift on a lilo.

People imagine someone drowning as someone screaming for help. This is not the case. People drown in silence.

The lifeguard noticed they were drifting and contacted a colleague on a jet ski for support to bring them in. Meanwhile, he informed the parents about what was happening.

“The father panicked and jumped into the water to go and help the girls. Now we had a situation where the father was the person most in danger. Meanwhile, the mother was arguing with the lifeguard and accusing him of not doing anything.

"People expect lifeguards to run towards danger but it has to be assessed and, in this case, he was coordinating the rescue. The lifeguard instructed the jet ski to pick up the father first, as the girls were on the lie low. All went well," he said.

"It’s important that parents remain close to their children. If they are playing close to the water, make sure they are wearing proper floaties as this will give rescuers more time in case of an accident," he said.

Brincau also cautioned that drowning was a silent killer: “People imagine someone drowning as someone screaming for help. This is not the case. People drown in silence. If they are screaming their head is above water and they are not drowning.”