Child rushed to hospital after swimming pool incident at Blockhouse Bay Primary

• A child was rushed to hospital from an Auckland primary school after getting into distress in the swimming pool
• Blockhouse Bay primary principal Neil Robinson said staff followed appropriate guidelines and called emergency services immediately
• Robinson confirmed two trained teachers were stationed by the pool and experts will support affected children and staff

A child was rushed to hospital from an Auckland primary school after they “got into distress” in the swimming pool.

Blockhouse Bay principal Neil Robinson said the school is supporting the children who witnessed the incident yesterday and is confident they followed all appropriate guidelines.

Robinson said staff immediately called emergency services after the incident.

“First responders arrived promptly and the child has been taken to the hospital where we know he will be receiving the best possible care.

“Our thoughts are with the child and his family at this time.”

He said children who witnessed the scene were taken away to the classrooms and were “cared for” by staff.

“We are working with the Ministry of Education and other agencies to help us support the child, family, our children and our staff.

“Tomorrow we will have experts to guide us to support everyone.”

Blockhouse Bay School principal Neil Robinson says they are taking care of staff and students who saw the incident. Photo / Natalie Slade

He said two trained teachers were stationed on either side of the pool, which was “within their ratio” and met their guidelines.

The Ministry of Education has been approached for comment.

In May, two boys were “found motionless” at the bottom of a commercial Newmarket swimming pool.

The pair were resuscitated poolside at Newmarket Olympic Pools and Fitness Centre before being taken to Auckland City Hospital in a critical condition.

The boys were pulled from the water by champion swimmer Joel Crampton.

The family of one of the boys released a statement at the time that said their son was “not practising free-diving and he was not deliberately holding his breath underwater”.

Two-year-old Ranger Hetaraka was found floating face down at the Napier Aquatic Centre pool on December 5, 2020.

He was taken from the pool to Hawkes Bay Hospital in Hastings where he was treated before being flown to Auckland’s Starship in critical condition.

Ranger did not recover and died in Starship Hospital four days after the incident when the decision was made to withdraw breathing support.

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