Two children in critical condition after near drowning at Kuusijärvi beach in Vantaa

Every second waiting for the ambulance felt like an eternity, says Anna Moustafa from Vantaa. She was present on Friday at Kuusijärvi beach in Vantaa, where two children nearly drowned. It was a hot day, and the beach was crowded, filled with children, according to Moustafa. She believes the lifeguards did not immediately notice the children were missing.

Authorities reported that the siblings, aged 4 and 7, were in the shallow end of the water with their 2-year-old sibling and father when they left the area unnoticed. The older siblings then jumped from a dock into deeper water, where they were later found unresponsive. Moustafa noted that the 7-year-old boy had been in the water the longest, while the 4-year-old girl was there for a shorter duration.

The lifeguards were able to locate the children underwater within approximately four minutes of being informed of their disappearance and began resuscitation efforts immediately, with help from bystanders. The ambulance arrived about ten minutes later. Moustafa mentioned that the resuscitation attempt lasted for 40 minutes.

On the shore, the family’s 2-year-old child cried out as the parents were in shock. The mother sang and prayed out loud for her children. Moustafa described this as her way of expressing her own pain and sorrow, stating, “I will never forget this.”

Moustafa felt that the family did not receive sufficient support from rescue officials on-site. No one comforted the mother, and Moustafa took it upon herself to provide support by holding the mother’s hand and speaking to her during the ordeal. The police reported that the children are in critical condition and had been underwater for nearly 20 minutes. Moustafa expressed her hopes for the family’s recovery after the traumatic incident.