Photo courtesy of Al-Zohour Club.
The incident occurred during the Under-12 National Swimming Championship at the Cairo International Stadium Swimming Complex, prompting nationwide outrage and urgent calls for accountability.
The Ministry stated that the referral was ordered by Minister Ashraf Sobhy, who instructed a full and transparent investigation after reviewing initial findings and the Ministry’s approved medical code.
Sobhy also requested an urgent report from the Egyptian Swimming Federation and formed a committee of legal, medical, sports-performance, and oversight specialists to examine all medical, technical, and administrative procedures at the event, including compliance with safety protocols and mandatory medical requirements.
Eyewitnesses described a devastating sequence of events.
They said Youssef, an El-Zohour Sporting Club swimmer, completed his 50-metre backstroke race among the top competitors before suddenly fainting and sinking unnoticed to the bottom of the pool.
For nearly twelve minutes, he remained submerged during the crowded competition while officials, timekeepers, and supervisors failed to detect his absence.
Nine swimmers exited the pool after the race, unaware that Youssef had not surfaced. His body was only found when the next relay race began, and a swimmer saw him lying motionless in the deep end.
Witnesses said no lifeguards assigned by the Swimming Federation were present, no lane timekeepers were at their posts, and no on-site resuscitation equipment or properly equipped ambulances were stationed at the venue.
Parents at the event said the organizing committee had failed to comply with medical safety measures previously mandated by the Public Prosecution following the death of karate player Youssef Ahmed earlier this year. They stressed that weak emergency preparedness significantly delayed rescue attempts, and that the boy arrived at a Nasr City hospital in extremely critical condition.
In her testimony, Youssef’s mother expressed anger and heartbreak, saying, “twenty officials, none of them lifeguards, did not know how to save my son, and the ambulance did not have a CPR device.” She added that even if her son had suffered a head injury, as some claimed, he could have been saved had proper emergency measures been in place.
His father, Mohamed Abdelmalek, accused the Federation of negligence, saying the championship’s conditions were wholly inadequate for handling a medical emergency.
According to the hospital report, Youssef arrived at 6:10pm in full cardiac arrest and not breathing. Doctors detected ventricular fibrillation, followed by another cardiac arrest, prompting the administration of three electric shocks. Medical teams inserted a laryngeal airway, placed him on mechanical ventilation, administered IV adrenaline, and conducted full blood and blood-gas analyses.
After being transferred to the ICU, he suffered a fourth cardiac arrest and, despite repeated CPR attempts, did not respond. His death was confirmed at 10pm on 2 December 2025.
Medical staff emphasized that no defibrillator was available at the pool, delaying the most critical intervention. Minister Sobhy said he is monitoring the case with “profound sadness” and stressed that ensuring the safety of young athletes is a top state priority.
He vowed that the Ministry will take all necessary measures to protect athletes’ rights and enforce strict adherence to safety and medical protocols across clubs and youth centers.
The Ministry extended condolences to Youssef’s family as the Public Prosecution continues its investigation to determine responsibility for the failures that led to the boy’s death.
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