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An MDA team was forced to declare an eight-year-old boy dead after he drowned in a hotel near the Dead Sea.

First responders were called to the hotel in Ein Bokek after receiving reports of a child that had been dragged out of the pool. They tried to resuscitate him but it was too late.

The children's health organization B'Terem notes that three children drowned in hotel pools during 2015, and that this past March a child drowned while staying at a hotel in Eilat.

B'Terem Director Orli Silvinger insists that "these tragedies could have been prevented."

According to her, "a vacation with children requires increased vigilance by the parents. You can't leave the children alone in a pool for even a moment.

"We must remember that flotation devices are recommended, but they are no substitute for adult supervision," Silvinger added. "Eighty percent of drownings could be avoided through prevention strategies such as swimming lessons and educational programs, as well as parents' active supervision and presence around the water, along with active lifeguards."