14-year-old boy drowns in hotel swimming pool during family wedding at Turkish beach resort

A British teenager has drowned at a Turkish holiday resort while celebrating a family wedding.

The 14-year-old was reportedly swimming in the Liberty Lara beach hotel pool in Antalya on Sunday afternoon, August 14, when he got into difficulty. He was pulled unconscious from the pool by a barman at the all-inclusive resort and was given CPR on the scene before being rushed to a nearby hospital, according to a holidaymaker who saw the incident.

Police are now investigating claims that the lifeguard, who was supposed to be on duty while the boy drowned, had left the pool unattended to go on lunch break.

One onlooker told The Sun: ‘This happened around 1pm and we heard the lifeguard had gone for lunch. 

‘They tried very hard to revive the boy at the side of the pool but it was too late.’

The Liberty Lara hotel told The Sun the claims surrounding the absentee lifeguard were false. 

The luxury resort hotel boasts five pools, including one with a waterslide, along with a spa experience, all-inclusive restaurant and several bars.

In a statement provided to The Sun, a Liberty Lara spokesperson insisted: ‘In accordance with the rules and regulations regarding the lifeguards we have stationed at all of our pools, water slide splash pools, observation tower on the beach and on the pier, when a lifeguard takes a lunch break, another lifeguard will take his or her place.

‘There are CCTV cameras located around the pool area which have been viewed by both the Liberty Lara management and the local police. Lifeguards were on the scene within 30 seconds. 

‘We have one additional lifeguard over the numbers required to ensure that the pools are not left unattended when a lifeguard takes a lunch break.’