Seven-year-old boy drowns in hotel leisure centre swimming pool

A young boy has drowned in a swimming pool in Ireland.

The boy, 7, got into difficulty while swimming at Lakeside Hotel & Leisure Centre in Co. Clare on Saturday afternoon.

Ambulance and police attended the scene at around 3pm 20 April and the boy was treated at the poolside.

He was then transferred to University Hospital Limerick, where he was later pronounced dead.

The local coroner has been notified and arrangements were being made for a post-mortem examination.

It is understood the incident is being considered as a tragic accident.

The Lakeside Hotel & Leisure Centre is a four-star hotel sitting on the banks of the River Shannon, with views of the twin heritage towns of Ballina in Co. Tipperary and Killaloe in Co. Clare, about 15 miles northeast of Limerick.

It has a gym, steam room, sauna, jacuzzi and an 18 metre deck-level pool equipped with a 40 metre, figure-of-eight water slide.

The Irish Times reported that the boy, who was from the nearby parish of Clonlara, had been at the hotel for a birthday party.

The pool at the liesure centre was immediately closed while police conducted their enquiries.

A Garda (Irish police) spokesman said: “Gardaí and emergency services responded to an incident at a swimming pool on a premises in Killaloe, Co. Clare, shortly before 3pm on Saturday, April 20th, 2024.”

“A 7-year-old boy was transported from the scene to University Hospital Limerick, where he was later pronounced deceased.”