Child, 8, Drowns In King Christian Hotel Pool

ST. CROIX — An 8-year-old child drowned in a pool located at the King Christian Hotel in Christiansted today, V.I.P.D. Public Information Officer Glen Dratte confirmed to The Consortium. The child, who was part of a group of girls enjoying a birthday party weekend at the hotel, was pronounced dead at the Juan F. Luis Hospital after tireless efforts by medical personnel to resuscitate her failed.

Just before 11:30 this morning, sirens — coming from police and emergency vehicles — started blaring down King Street, heading towards the King Christian Hotel near Fort Christianvaern. A Consortium reporter followed the emergency vehicles and witnessed medical technicians hustling into the hotel with a stretcher.

They departed the hotel with the child and rushed to the hospital — performing CPR on the way — and dashed into the emergency room to employ further life-saving methods in an attempt to spare the child death.

Family and friends filled the emergency room hoping for the best outcome, some struggling to maintain their composure. According to Mr. Dratte, as part of the birthday party weekend activities, the girls, guided by their parents, had visited the movie theater the night before and spent the night at the hotel. On Saturday morning, the pool party commenced, but after a while, partygoers realized that the child was missing, and began scanning the area to locate her. She was found in the water, appearing lifeless, prompting panic as 911 was called immediately to the area.

Outside the hotel, groups of people speculated what had occurred. Standing near a vehicle next to who appeared to be parents, a child was crying, wanting to head back to the hotel to help. She had apparently been in the area of the party, and was sobbing.

Police are continuing their investigation into the matter, according to Mr. Dratte.

Correction: June 25, 2016

A previous version of this story included the wrong hotel as the location where the incident occurred. It was at the King Christian Hotel; not King’s Alley. The story has been updated.

Feature Image: An ambulance is parked outside the King Christian Hotel, while EMTs rush to the second floor to investigate the drowning incident. (Ernice Gilbert, VIC)