Four-Year-Old Girl Rescued From Municipal Pool Recovers in Hospital
A four-year-old girl who nearly drowned at a municipal pool in Migdal HaEmek has fully recovered after being rescued by her mother and receiving intensive medical care.
A routine family outing to the municipal pool in Migdal HaEmek nearly ended in tragedy when four-and-a-half-year-old Noa Ben was found lying unconscious at the bottom of the pool. Her mother, Shira, quickly jumped into the water and rescued her. Following intensive medical care at the Emek Medical Center, Noa has fully recovered and is out of danger.
Recalling the harrowing moments, Shira explained that she had visited the pool with her three children and a neighbor immediately after kindergarten. They were in the shallow end, and Noa was swimming without floaters because she was right next to her. However, a brief moment of distraction occurred when her eldest daughter asked for a swimming instructor's phone number. When Shira turned back, Noa was gone.
"I shouted her name, but she didn't answer, which is very unlike her," Shira recounted. "Another woman looked into the water, and when I looked down, I saw darkness. My little girl was lying at the bottom of the pool." Shira immediately dove in, pulled her daughter out, and began praying while performing rescue actions. Shortly after, an Ichud Hatzolah paramedic arrived within a minute to provide initial treatment, and Noa was rushed to the pediatric intensive care unit.
Dr. Gur Zamir, head of the pediatric intensive care unit at Emek Medical Center, emphasized that even after a successful rescue, secondary respiratory complications can arise, requiring strict medical monitoring. He praised the mother's swift action and urged parents to maintain continuous eye contact with children near water, noting that tragedies can occur in mere seconds.
