Three employees of a southern Russian summer camp were drinking while children in their care drowned, investigators said on Thursday.
A camp counselor and six children drowned during a boat trip to an island in the Krasnodar Territory's Sea of Azov on Wednesday. During the trip, the children were allowed to swim in the sea in an area with an undeveloped shoreline and no rescue facilities.
"A test revealed the presence of alcohol in the blood of three camp councilors who were looking after the children," Vladimir Markin, a spokesman for the Russian Investigative Committee, said.
"The children were close to the shoreline when the sand gave way under their feet. They tried to swim to safety, but the adults on the shore were busy," a psychologist who talked to the surviving children after the tragedy told RIA Novosti.
A 27-year-old physical education instructor who tried to save the children also drowned.
According to rules for Russian summer camps, only ten children are allowed to swim at a time, and one adult should look after them in the water and one from the shore. In this case, 67 children were accompanied by 16 adults who were drinking beer, Russia's child ombudsman Pavel Astakhov said.
"I was among those who warned them that swimming is not allowed there," Valery Yudin, the head of the summer camp, said
"Two children remain in hospital. A nine year-old boy, who nearly drowned, is now in intensive care, in a moderately grave condition. Doctors say he will spend at least five days in hospital," a spokesman for the regional emergencies ministry department said.
The second child was diagnosed with acute respiratory illness and may be discharged from hospital in the next few days.
MOSCOW, July 8 (RIA Novosti)
