Israeli-Colombian girl dies after accident in pool at Turkish resort

ISTANBUL

An 11-year-old girl has lost her life after her hair became tangled in the blower motor on the bottom of a pool in a luxurious Turkish resort, daily Sabah has reported.

In July, Sofia El Khoury, the daughter of Israeli businessman Victor Enrique El Khoury Sejnaui and Colombian sports announcer Jacqueline Cepeda Perez, visited the Sarıgerme village in southwestern Muğla province for a holiday with her family.

The young girl slid down a water slide into the resort’s pool, but her hair became caught in a blower motor at the bottom of the pool and she was unable to surface. Upon realizing his daughter was stuck, Sejnaui jumped into the pool with a pair scissors to release Sofia’s hair from the motor and was able to bring her up to the pool deck.

After being submerged without oxygen for a long time, Sofia was taken to a local hospital where she stayed in an intensive care unit. As her condition worsened, her father called an Israeli doctor to come to Turkey for Sofia’s treatment. However, the Israeli doctor advised to continue Sofia’s treatment in Israel and she was taken to Israel in a private air ambulance. Despite all the efforts, Sofia lost her life in Israel.

She was laid to rest with a ceremony in which white balloons and doves were flown to the air.

Sofia’s family has reportedly been preparing to file a lawsuit, as the gendarmerie investigation into the incident is continuing.

It has also been learned Fernando Muslera, the Galatasaray goalkeeper and a friend of Sofia’s mother, called the family to give his condolences.