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Toddler rescued after near-drowning in backyard pool in Highland

Posted at 4:11 PM, May 31, 2017
and last updated 2017-06-01 09:01:46-04

HIGHLAND, Utah — A toddler was taken to a hospital Wednesday afternoon after she was pulled unconscious from a swimming pool at a neighborhood gathering.

Landon Flack, a paramedic and firefighter with the Lone Peak Fire District, said the near-drowning occurred at a home in the area of 11600 North Penbrooke Lane in Highland. Emergency units were dispatched to the scene shortly after 2 p.m.

Flack said there was a neighborhood gathering at the backyard pool, and a handful of children were swimming. One child found a young girl, who is almost 3 years old, unconscious in the water.

An adult pulled the girl from the pool, and at that time she was not breathing and was “ashy” in color. CPR was administered, and the child began coughing and crying.

The girl was taken to Mountain Point Medical Center and is listed in stable condition.

The American Red Cross offers the following tips regarding water safety:

  • Swim in designated areas supervised by lifeguards.
  • Always swim with a buddy; do not allow anyone to swim alone. Even at a public pool or a lifeguarded beach, use the buddy system!
  • Ensure that everyone in the family learns to swim well. Enroll in age-appropriate Red Cross water orientation and Learn-to-Swim courses.
  • Never leave a young child unattended near water and do not trust a child’s life to another child; teach children to always ask permission to go near water.
  • Have young children or inexperienced swimmers wear U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jackets around water, but do not rely on life jackets alone.
  • Establish rules for your family and enforce them without fail. For example, set limits based on each person’s ability, do not let anyone play around drains and suction fittings, and do not allow swimmers to hyperventilate before swimming under water or have breath-holding contests.
  • Even if you do not plan on swimming, be cautious around natural bodies of water including ocean shoreline, rivers and lakes. Cold temperatures, currents and underwater hazards can make a fall into these bodies of water dangerous.