A heartbroken mother has told how the blue swimsuit her three-year-old daughter was wearing when she drowned in a pool made it difficult to see she was underwater because it was the same colour as the tiles.
Agatha Maria Vieira de Freitas drowned at the aquatic club in Paraiso do Tocantins, in Brazil, on Sunday, 6th April.
Her distraught mother told how she was frantically looking for her but could not find her after she moved away from her siblings while playing.
Picture shows Agatha Maria Vieira de Freitas, undated. The three-year-old girl drowned in Paraiso do Tocantins, Brazil. Note: Private photo taken from local media. (Newsflash/NX)
Aline Cristina Vieira Gomes saying that her daughter's clothes were the same blue colour as the swimming pool tiles, making it hard for her to locate her child.
She said: "We looked in all the pools several times, we looked everywhere. I went into every part of the park, I went out looking everywhere.
Picture shows Agatha Maria Vieira de Freitas, undated. The three-year-old girl drowned in Paraiso do Tocantins, Brazil. Note: Image is a screenshot from video. (Newsflash/NX)
"My father, my aunt and my brother, we looked everywhere and we couldn't find her. We passed by [the pool] several times, but the clothes she was wearing made it impossible for us to see it."
When they finally found her, the family tried to act as quickly as possible by transporting the girl to the hospital in a car provided by one of the club's managers.
On the way, they met the firefighters who were on their way to the scene.
Picture shows the funeral of Agatha Maria Vieira de Freitas, undated. The three-year-old girl drowned in Paraiso do Tocantins, Brazil. Note: Image is a screenshot from video. (Newsflash/NX)
According to Aline, the time between her disappearance and her arrival at the Paraiso Regional Hospital, including rescue and first aid, was about 20 minutes.
Despite the efforts, Agatha did not survive and died moments later.
Aline said: "As soon as she was taken out [of the pool] cardiac massage began. I didn't see if mouth-to-mouth resuscitation was performed because I was in total despair.
"Her father was in front because, at first, we thought someone had taken her, because we couldn't see her in the pool."
Picture shows the funeral of Agatha Maria Vieira de Freitas, undated. The three-year-old girl drowned in Paraiso do Tocantins, Brazil. Note: Image is a screenshot from video. (Newsflash/NX)
The heartbroken mother added: "We are devastated, not knowing where to start, not knowing what to do."
Agatha was buried on Monday, 7th April.
The police are investigating the young girl's death.
(Joseph Golder/newsX)