'Complete shambles': Waterpark slammed for inept rescue effort after 11-year-old girl drowns in lake
BERKSHIRE, ENGLAND: An 11-year-old girl died while participating in an inflatable obstacle game at Liquid Leisure Windsor in Datchet, Berks. The girl, named as Kyra by witnesses, was playing the game with ten of her friends before she disappeared beneath the lake. Lifeguards yelled out Kyra's name and flipped over the inflatables when she wasn't to be found at the dressing cabins. At least 30 employees and brave bystanders helped the desperate hunt for her, diving into the lake.
Around 3:40 pm on Saturday, August 6, Kyra's friends called the police when they noticed she was missing. However, the Daily Mail says that emergency personnel wasn't contacted until 3.55 pm. One parent even said that it took the employees around 20 minutes to empty the lake.
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At 5.10 pm, Kyra was finally discovered and sent to Wexham Park Hospital, but she was unable to survive. Bystanders remarked that the young lifeguards were "not ready" for such a situation.
The hunt, according to 25-year-old James Bull, who was one of the tourists who participated in the rescue operation, was a huge disaster. "It was a complete shambles. I saw the lady shouting for Kyra, then I bumped into a couple of young girls who said they were Kyra’s friends. They showed me a picture and said she was in a black swimsuit and grey footwear," said Bull.
"They said she can’t swim and was struggling – then she went under." Bull jumped in with borrowed goggles, but the murky water made it hard to see. He continued, "There were more adults and parents in the water looking for her than lifeguards. It was a complete joke."
A 32-year-old mother who was also a guest called the events "horrendous." "Some were screaming to get goggles. I can’t begin to tell you how poorly dealt with it was," she said.
In a statement to Sky News, another bystander said, "There was a ridiculous amount of people on the inflatables. There was no emergency plan. They did not have any tannoy system or any alarm. Everyone was standing around watching and it was not helping. It was chaos."
A second mother, 34, who shouted Kyra's name alongside the others, claimed that the event had left her feeling hollow. "There was one lady in particular who was either her mum or someone close to her, that was in swimwear and was visibly shaking and crying whilst shouting for her," she said.
75-year-old John Lee added, "You could sense the moment they’d found her as the whole atmosphere turned from hope to somber. It’s so tragic for the family. "
The aquapark was closed for a Thames Valley Police investigation on Sunday. The lifeguards and well-wishers left bouquets outside the park to pay tribute to little Kyra. Charlotte Underwood, a 41-year-old mother, showed her concern for Kyra's family and called the event "tragic" "As a community, it is as if we’ve lost one of our own," she said.
According to authorities, Kyra's case is currently being investigated and is classified as strange. The young girl was spotted slipping underneath the lake and didn't return, per another eyewitness who was at the park with her children, who spoke to Sky News. The mother, who wished to remain unknown, said, "At that point, the lifeguards came running. She was with a group of friends for a girl's birthday. My daughter spoke to the birthday group."
Other visitors recalled being asked to shout the girl's name on the beach in case she emerged from the sea. As police and firefighters searched for the child, two helicopters were also involved in the operation.
"My thoughts are with the family and friends of the girl who has died as a result of this tragic incident. We are in the early stages of investigating this incident to understand the full circumstances," local commander Supt Michael Greenwood said. "There was a swift response from all emergency services and, following an extensive search of the lake, the girl, who was 11, was located at around 5.10 pm and taken to hospital but sadly died," he added.
"This has been an extremely traumatic and upsetting incident for all involved. I am aware that several members of the public entered the lake shortly after the girl got into difficulty, but were unable to locate her. I would like to commend them for their courage and bravery," he concluded. "My sincere condolences are with the girl’s family and friends, and I would ask that their privacy is respected at this incredibly traumatic and distressing time for them."
In a message on Facebook, Liquid Leisure announced that it will be shutting down on Sunday. The statement read, "Our thoughts and prayers are with the family, friends and all those effected by this desperately tragic and upsetting incident. As Thames Valley Police are in the early stages of an investigation it would not be right for us to add further comment, but we will continue to fully support and assist them throughout the process."