Two girls are fighting for their lives after separate suction incidents at swimming pools in Sestri Levante, on Italy's Ligurian coast, over two days this week.
An 11-year-old girl remains in critical condition after her hair was pulled into a pool's drainage pump at the Bagni Segesta facility on July 15. The establishment's owner freed the child by cutting her hair with scissors, and rescuers administered CPR for 45 minutes before she resumed breathing autonomously. The Milanese tourist was airlifted to Genoa's Gaslini pediatric hospital.
The following day, a 7-year-old girl was similarly sucked into a pool skimmer at another Sestri Levante location. Lifeguards and emergency crews performed resuscitation for more than 30 minutes before she too was helicoptered to Gaslini in critical condition. Both facilities have been sealed by authorities, with the Coast Guard and local carabinieri investigating.