A 2.5-year-old girl is in critical condition after falling into a fountain in a public square in the Athens suburb of Kallithea on Sunday night, prompting a rapid emergency response and the detention of her parents on suspicion of child neglect.
The incident happened around 8:00 p.m. at a busy square where the child was with her father, a 26-year-old. According to available information, the toddler briefly escaped his attention and, under unclear circumstances, ended up inside the fountain.
Passersby who noticed the child in the water rushed to pull her out and immediately alerted authorities. Motorcycle police officers were the first to arrive and began providing first aid.
An ambulance was called, but before it reached the scene, a police patrol car transported the child to a nearby children’s hospital. Doctors in the emergency department performed prolonged resuscitation efforts lasting about 40 minutes and managed to revive her.
Despite the successful resuscitation, the girl’s condition remains extremely critical, according to hospital officials.
Police detained the child’s parents — the 26-year-old father and the 23-year-old mother — on charges of child neglect. They are being held at a local police unit and are expected to appear before a prosecutor.
