3-year-old girl left fighting for her life after swallowing ecstasy pill she found in park while on vacation in Ibiza
A three-year-old girl is fighting for her life in hospital after she swallowed an ecstasy pill left in a playground at a well-known holiday resort in Ibiza.
The Russian child was on vacation with her mother and two siblings when she came across the tablet on Thursday, The Sun reports.
It is believed the pill had been mistakenly dropped in the park by a drug user or dealer before the child mistook it for candy, per Civil Guard investigators.
The youngster was at a children’s park in Santa Eulalia—a town on Ibiza’s east coast and popular among tourists—when she discovered the tablet.
While she was first admitted to the island’s Can Misses Hospital Thursday morning, the severity of her condition led her to be airlifted to Son Espases Hospital on the neighboring island of Majorca later in the day.
The following morning, she was admitted to a pediatric intensive care unit.
A spokesman for the Civil Guard confirmed the young female appeared to have mistakenly ingested an ecstasy tablet she found in the aforementioned park.
“She was on holiday in Ibiza," he said. "Tests have confirmed it was an ecstasy tablet and investigators are working on the theory someone had dropped it in the park and the little girl mistook it for a sweet.”
The main ingredient in ecstasy tablets, MDMA, can significantly increase blood pressure and body temperature.
Many users have previously suffered from heatstroke after their high body temperature caused organs to shut down.
That said, the smaller size of a child's body cannot handle the strain of taking ecstasy as compared to the body of an adult.
At the moment, detectives are questioning family members and other witnesses who may have more details surrounding the incident.
Meanwhile, the Russian Embassy in Spain has said it is closely monitoring the situation.
"We are aware of the situation and are monitoring it; the consulate general keeps us informed. Russia's Honorary Consul on the Balearic Islands is now involved," the embassy noted.
Being Ibiza's third-largest town, Santa Eulalia is known as one of the island's most family-friendly destinations, featuring a stunning yacht marina and a variety of restaurants.