Doctor who found baby in pond was part of search
Seán McGowan is in serious condition in Our Lady’s Hospital for Sick Children in Dublin after falling in the pond at Ranelagh Park while on an outing with staff from his nursery, Miss Carr’s Children’s Home.
It has been reported in the past few days that it was only when a female doctor saw the toddler floating in the water that the alert was raised.
However, the Irish Examiner has learned it may barely have been a minute before it was realised the child was missing.
At that point it is understood the staff of the children’s home and staff at the park asked people to help search for the little boy.
At the time there was an Dublin City Council event on in the park promoting the development of a new playground and there were a number of people close to the pond.
It was during the search that the doctor found Seán and was able to administer first aid.
The staff are believed to be traumatised by what happened.
There will be three separate investigations into how the child entered the water and how the situation was managed.
Inquiries by the Health Service Executive and the gardaí have begun and an independent investigation being carried out for the children’s home by Suzanne Phelan, former childcare manager with the HSE, will begin on Monday.
Yesterday the home refused to comment on the sequence of events saying it must allow the investigation to continue.
The child’s mother, Rose Houlihan, has maintained a bedside vigil with the child since the accident happened. She is a client of the home’s transitional housing section that she attends withSeán.
Miss Carr’s Children’s Home has been operating on Northbrook Road in Ranelagh since 1887.
A spokesman said that during that time thousands of children have been looked after by the home and this is the first such incident in its history where a child in its care has suffered serious injury.
