A 10-year-old boy is in extremely serious condition in intensive care after nearly drowning at Marathias beach in the Elis regional unit of Greece on Friday afternoon.
The child was rushed to the University Hospital of Patras, where he remains intubated under deep sedation in the pediatric intensive care unit. Medical personnel performed two CT scans on Saturday to assess the extent of brain trauma, with specialists currently evaluating the diagnostic images.
Andreas Iliadis, an intensivist and head of the Pediatric ICU at the Patras hospital, informed Greek public broadcaster ERT that the young patient is receiving targeted anti-edema therapy. The medical intervention aims to counteract severe brain swelling that developed after the boy experienced prolonged oxygen deprivation while submerged in the water.
Medical treatment and hospital care
The University Hospital of Patras, located in the Rio district of Greece's third-largest city, functions as the primary tertiary referral center for complex pediatric emergencies across the western Peloponnese. Medical teams in the pediatric intensive care unit specialize in advanced neurocritical care and respiratory management.
In severe submersion injuries, the rapid onset of hypoxia, defined as a critical deprivation of oxygen to body tissues, can trigger dangerous swelling within the brain, known as cerebral edema. To mitigate neurological damage, physicians place patients under deep sedation and mechanical ventilation, which reduces brain metabolic activity and maintains vital gas exchange while medication reduces intracranial pressure.
Iliadis explained that medical staff are keeping the child under continuous monitoring to evaluate his physiological response to the anti-edema treatment. He noted that doctors will perform a comprehensive re-evaluation of the boy's clinical status within 24 hours.
Urgent warning for parents
Following the update on the child's condition, Iliadis issued a strong appeal to parents of young children, warning them never to turn away or leave their children unsupervised even for a single second when visiting coastal areas.
The senior doctor emphasized that the near-drowning incident on Friday occurred within seconds. He added that while families still have remaining time during the summer season to enjoy visits to the sea, parents must maintain constant and undivided supervision over young bathers to prevent similar tragedies.
Marathias beach is a popular sandy resort area located along the Ionian Sea coastline in the Elis region, attracting numerous families and summer visitors. Healthcare authorities routinely remind the public that drowning in young children often occurs silently and without obvious signs of distress, making immediate proximity and visual contact critical safety measures.
Attending physicians at the Patras facility will conduct their next full medical assessment of the 10-year-old boy on Sunday afternoon to determine the next stage of his care.
