4-year-old girl flown to hospital after near drowning at hotel pool in Maine

A 4-year-old girl is in critical condition after being pulled from a hotel pool in Kennebunk, Maine, on Saturday morning.

The Kennebunk Fire Department said it was dispatched to the Hampton Inn, at 6 Independence Drive, around 9:30 a.m. for a child not breathing. Firefighters and EMS arrived on scene and found a 4-year-old girl who was in cardiac arrest after a near drowning incident in the hotel pool.

Immediate and extensive resuscitative efforts were provided on scene, according to the fire department. The girl was taken by ambulance to MaineHealth Biddeford and then flown by medical helicopter to MaineHealth Portland, where she was in critical condition.

The circumstances surrounding the incident were not immediately provided.

This incident is under review, the fire department added, noting that additional information is not being released at this time out of respect for the family’s privacy.

The fire department is also offering these pool and water safety tips for the summer season: “Protect Children – Phones Down Eyes Up.”

• Always actively supervise: designate a sober, attentive “water watcher” within arm’s reach of young children. No phones or distractions.
• Use barriers: ensure pools have four-sided fencing with self-closing, self-latching gates; keep doors and gates locked.
• Life jackets: young or inexperienced swimmers should wear U.S. Coast Guard–approved life vests near water.
• Swim lessons & skills: enroll children in age-appropriate swim lessons and teach basic water safety early.
• Know the environment: at hotels, check for lifeguards, pool depth markers, rules, and hazards; never assume someone else is watching.
• No diving in shallow water; no running or rough play near the pool.
• Remove toys from the pool when not in use—don’t leave items that attract children.
• Learn CPR: caregivers and hotel staff should be trained in infant/child CPR and rescue breathing. If someone is unresponsive and not breathing, call 911 immediately and begin CPR.
• Drain safety: keep hair, clothing, and body parts away from drains; teach older kids about the danger.