A man who helped rescue a young girl from drowning in Tenerife has recounted the harrowing experience, as the hotel confirmed that the child is now recovering well. Daniel Marsh, aged 21, was staying at Granada Park in Los Cristianos with two friends when the incident occurred.
During an interview with MailOnline, Marsh described how the girl’s father froze with panic as he realised his daughter was in danger, screaming, "My girl, my baby girl." Marsh and others witnessed the child lying face down at the bottom of the pool.
Marsh recounted the events of May 9th, when he and his friends were relaxing by the pool. He noticed a family nearby, including a mother and an aunt, confirming the girl’s family were at the pool, and saw the girl playing in the water. However, after she got out and removed her inflatables, she disappeared from view.
When her father asked if anyone had seen her, Marsh realised the girl was missing. He found her at the bottom of the pool and immediately jumped in to rescue her.
"I lifted her out of the pool and started performing CPR," Marsh said, grateful that hotel staff quickly took over. "People from the balconies also came running down to help."
As previously reported, the girl was conscious but frightened when police arrived. A doctor and first aider attended to her before ambulances transported her to a hospital for treatment, where she was diagnosed with aspiration pneumonia, caused by inhaling water into her lungs.
The good news is that a spokesperson for the Granada Park Aparthotel has confirmed the child's recovery, stating, "Yes, yes, the girl is fine", and Marsh says he saw the girl at the hotel the next day, laughing and playing, indicating she was recovering well.
Local reports indicate that authorities are still investigating the absence of a lifeguard at the pool at the time the incident took place.
