Boy (3) fights for life after swimming pool accident
A YOUNG boy is fighting for his life after being dragged unconscious from a Cork swimming pool.
Three-year-old Ronan Kennedy was discovered floating in the pool in Youghal shortly before 2pm yesterday.
The accident occurred at the Quality Hotel in Redbarn, just outside the popular east Cork seaside town.
It is understood a children's event was being staged near the pool complex, which is very popular with Irish families who opt for a domestic holiday.
Ronan somehow became separated from the other youngsters he was playing with.
Ronan, who is the son of John and Bridget Kennedy from Templederry in north Tipperary, then apparently got into difficulty in a deeper section of the pool.
Swimmers were shocked to discover him floating face down in the pool, and helped distraught members of his family drag him to safety.
Two pool lifeguards took the young boy from the water and immediately commenced emergency cardiac pulmonary resuscitation (CPR).
A local doctor raced to the scene and the Irish Coastguard's Waterford-based Sikorsky helicopter was alerted.
Ronan was transferred by air to Cork University Hospital (CUH) with the local GP continuing to perform CPR.
He was later taken to the Children's University Hospital at Temple Street in Dublin for specialist paediatric care, but remains critically ill.
His distraught family were at his hospital bedside last night.
Gardai are now examining the scene, but the incident is being treated as a tragic accident.
Ronan and his family were in Cork for a brief family holiday.
He is one of three children, and will be four in September.
A spokesperson for the Quality Hotel declined to comment and referred all queries to the gardai.