The father of a 4-year-old boy who drowned in a pool at a beach bar on the Greek island of Paros said no lifeguard was present at the time, telling Star television he performed CPR on his son but could not revive him.
The father said the club's bartender jumped into the pool to pull the child out after the boy slipped away unnoticed while the family was eating nearby.
"The bartender wasn't at his job," he said, alleging the venue lacked a defibrillator, first-aid kit or basic safety measures.
He said the man who claims to be both the owner and the lifeguard is 68 years old and was seen wearing a cap and shirt with an earpiece, directing customers to tables rather than supervising the pool.
"If someone had been watching the pool, I wouldn't be mourning my child," the father said, noting that security footage shows the family was near the pool, not swimming in the sea, roughly 10 meters from the dining area when the boy disappeared from view for a matter of seconds.
The boy's grandfather echoed the criticism, saying the venue's absence of a lifeguard despite its high summer revenue and heavy foot traffic was unacceptable.
An employee told Star the family had been eating at the restaurant when the child slipped away, and that the venue's manager was in the pool's mechanical room at the time.
The bar's owner was brought before a prosecutor and later released. He and the child's parents face charges of manslaughter by negligence.
His attorney, Charis Ambrazis, said his client "is always present at his business… always alert."