The hot days of December in Costa Rica entice children to enjoy a quick dip in the many beaches, lakes, ponds, and rivers across the country. One of the hottest regions during this time of the year is Guanacaste, and this is where three children recently passed away as they tried to escape the heat. One drowned in the Gulf of Nicoya and two others died in a pond near Sonzapote.

The sad events were reported by Primero en Noticias, an online news daily from Guanacaste. Edier Ortiz reported on the first drowning, which took place over the weekend. On Tuesday, December 10^th, Red Cross search-and-rescue specialists announced that they found the body of a minor who had been missing since Sunday afternoon. The finding took place in the afternoon, and it corresponded to the report of a missing high school student who was enjoying a weekend at the beach with this family. The young boy was last seen entering the Gulf of Nicoya near a spot in front of the Tioga Hotel.

Also in Nicoya but further inland, Fiorella Valle of Primero en Noticias reported on the disconsolate drownings of a young boy and a girl in a pond near the rural community of Sonzapote. Red Cross rescuers found the bodies in the afternoon. Hours earlier, the two minors asked their parents for permission to go to the pulperia (neighborhood convenience store); instead, the children headed to El Chorron, an aptly-named natural pond created by a powerful waterfall.

Red Cross personnel mentioned that the minors did not respond to cardiopulmonar resuscitation efforts. Agents from the local Organization of Judicial Investigations (OIJ) branch arrived on Wednesday afternoon to transfer the children to the coroner’s office in Heredia.

December, January and Holy Week are unfortunately the busiest periods with regard to drownings across Costa Rica.