Scare at Mallorca hotel as 4-year-old British boy gets his hand stuck in swimming pool pipe

Firefighters and ambulance called to emergency at Mallorca resort hotel

There was quite a commotion when emergency services were called to help a four-year-old boy, whose arm had got stuck in a pipe of a swimming pool at a hotel in Mallorca, Spain on Sunday June 1.

According to local press reports, the child was British and the incident happened at about 5.50pm at the Hotel Zafiro in Can Picafort, a holiday resort in Santa Margalida, along the bay of Alcudia on the northern coast of the Balearic Island.

The boy put his right hand into a skimmer outlet that was not covered with a grill, and the suction created a vacuum, trapping his arm in there up to his elbow.

Local police, Guardia Civil, firefighters and an emergency medical team ambulance (SAMU) rushed to the scene, where emergency personnel worked quickly to calm the boy down, accompanied by his family and hotel staff.

They were unable to free him at first, so had to drain the pool using pumps and then dig out the section of pipe.

Great care was taken, putting a helmet and earplugs on the boy before they started cutting the pipe with a circular saw.

The operation took over half an hour to release him and he was taken to hospital with his arm immobilised for examination by medics, who confirmed that fortunately he had not suffered any serious injuries.

The local press report claimed that when the pool lifeguards were interviewed by the police and Guardia Civil, one said he had already reported the lack of a grill on the skimmer to the hotel reception, but the only action taken was to put in a screw, which kept working its way loose.

The other lifeguard also alleged he had already known about the problem and it had not been definitively resolved.

Furthermore, another British tourist claimed to have previously warned the lifeguards that the uncovered skimmer was dangerous, and said nothing had been done about it.

All the statements and the police report have been passed to a court to determine whether the hotel may be held responsible for any negligence, the local newspaper added.

In other news: Two Scottish men shot dead at bar in Fuengirola

Images: Bombers de Mallorca