Pool incident at Waterworld escalates, customers allege insufficient lifeguard presence on day of girl's unfortunate demise
In a heartbreaking incident, a four-year-old girl lost her life at Waterworld, the popular aqua park located in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire. The incident occurred on Monday, August 4, 2025, at around 4:20 pm.
Emergency services were promptly called to the scene, where the girl was found unconscious in the lagoon area of the park. CPR was administered by Waterworld staff and bystanders before the ambulance team took over resuscitation efforts and transported the girl to Royal Stoke University Hospital.
Despite the best efforts of the medical staff, the girl was confirmed deceased at the hospital. The news of the tragedy has left the community in shock, with Stoke-on-Trent Lord Mayor Steve Watkins expressing his sympathies for the family and loved ones of the deceased girl.
Residents living near the aqua park have also expressed their heartbreak over the incident. One resident stated that during peak times, there are not enough lifeguards, a sentiment shared by some locals who claimed the aqua park was "packed" on the day of the incident.
Waterworld, which attracts around 400,000 visitors each year and boasts three pools and 20 slides, has remained shut since the tragedy. The privately-run venue is working closely with the authorities at this sad time.
The council's environmental health team is collaborating with Staffordshire Police and Waterworld staff to conduct a full health and safety investigation into the circumstances of the tragedy. This investigation follows a similar one in 2021, when a drowning boy was rescued from a pool at Waterworld and was praised for the swift action of the lifeguards.
In 2022, more than a hundred swimmers at Waterworld suffered from sickness and eye irritation, requiring emergency services. However, it's important to note that these incidents are not directly related to the recent tragedy.
The full health and safety investigation is ongoing, and the aqua park remains closed out of respect for the family. The community awaits the results of the investigation and hopes for improvements in water park safety measures to prevent such tragedies in the future.
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General-news outlets reported that the investigation into the accident at Waterworld, Stoke-on-Trent's popular aqua park, has expanded to include past incidents of crime-and-justice concerns, such as the drowning boy in 2021 and the mass sickness incident in 2022.
Sports enthusiasts across the city have expressed their sympathy and support to the affected family, offering to organize a charity sports event as a gesture of solidarity in the hope of promoting general-news articles related to accident prevention and water park safety in the near future.
