Two brothers aged 9 and 11 fall into fenced fire reservoir in Szczecin, younger boy in critical condition

The incident

On Saturday afternoon, an emergency call was made after two boys were spotted in a fire reservoir near Primary School No. 18 on Komuny Paryskiej street in Szczecin. The reservoir, situated between the school building and a sports field, was surrounded by a metal fence with a gate locked by a padlock. Warning signs prohibiting entry were posted on the fence. Despite these barriers, the two brothers, aged 9 and 11 and of Vietnamese nationality, climbed over the fence and were playing near the concrete edge of the basin. At one point, one boy fell into the water; his brother attempted to rescue him and also ended up in the reservoir.

Rescue and medical response

Bystanders noticed the children in the water and pulled them to the shore before emergency services arrived. Three fire brigades from the State Fire Service, medical rescue teams, and police were dispatched to the scene. Firefighters, including a diver, performed resuscitation on both boys.

“Vital functions of the boys were restored, and they were then transported to hospital.”

The firefighter diver searched the reservoir to rule out the presence of anyone else in the water. As of Sunday, the 11-year-old is in good condition, while the 9-year-old remains in critical condition, according to prosecutor spokesperson Julia Szozda.

Investigation underway

A prosecutor from the District Prosecutor's Office in Szczecin participated in the inspection of the scene. Police reviewed CCTV recordings from Primary School No. 18, which confirmed that no one other than the two brothers was inside the fenced reservoir area. Witnesses are being interviewed and the surveillance footage has been secured.

“The boys climbed over the fence and were playing near the reservoir. During the play, one of the boys fell into the water, and the other tried to rescue him.”

Szozda added that the boys are brothers aged 9 and 11 of Vietnamese nationality. She stated that one boy is in good condition while the other child is in critical condition.

Legal questions

Prosecutors are examining whether the incident involved exposing the children to direct danger of loss of life or serious bodily harm. The reservoir was secured with a metal fence, a padlocked gate, and no-entry signs, raising questions about how the children accessed the area and whether any party bears responsibility for the safety breach.

“The ongoing procedural activities, including questioning of witnesses, will help clarify the details of this incident.”

She said the purpose of these activities is to determine whether the boys were exposed to direct danger of loss of life or serious harm to health. Police press officer aspirant Paweł Pankau confirmed that officers are establishing why the boys entered the fenced reservoir area and under what circumstances they ended up in the water.