A 5-year-old is alive Sunday night thanks to quick action from a lifeguard in Acton, Massachusetts.
The Acton police and fire departments responded to 111 Davis Road around 5:08 p.m. for a report that a young child had been pulled from the pool there after being submerged underwater.
Police say a 19-year-old lifeguard had already rescued the little boy from the water at the Bellows Farms condominium complex when they arrived.
Police Chief James Cogan and Fire Chief Anita Arnum are commending the lifeguard, who was not on active duty at the time of the incident.
According to police, the little boy had been swimming in the pool when his floatation devices somehow came off and he was submerged underwater. The child was underwater for about 30 seconds when the lifeguard saw what was happening and dove into the water and pulled him out.
The child was unresponsive, so the lifeguard performed two rounds of CPR, resulting in the child becoming alert and breathing on his own again, police said.
Officers and firefighters arrived on scene a short time later, at which point the boy was still alert and oriented. He was taken to a local hospital for further evaluation.
A preliminary investigation shows the boy's parents were along the side of the pool when their child drifted toward the deep end and the boy's flotation devices came off, causing him to go underwater.
The lifeguard was on a scheduled break at the time but was in the pool area and luckily saw what was going on. Swimming is allowed at the pool at your own risk when the lifeguard is not on active duty, police added.
This incident appears to be an accident, police said. Further information is not available at this time.
