A child is in critical but stable condition after a near-drowning incident in a Plantation neighborhood yesterday. As reported by WSVN, the child was rescued by authorities from a pool in the Hawks Landing community located near Nob Hill Road and Hawks View Boulevard. A police response came after initial reports of the possible drowning, and officers were the first to attend to the victim before transportation to the hospital was arranged.
According to CBS News Miami, just before 6:45 p.m., a physician who happened to be at the scene started to perform CPR on the child prior to the arrival of the police. The police then took over the resuscitation efforts, which were further supported by the arrival of Plantation Fire rescue crews. The team effort, involving multiple responders, proved successful in reviving the child en route to Broward Health Medical Center.
While the identity of the physician has not been disclosed, Plantation Fire Lt. Ashton Bright emphasized the importance of immediate action in such situations, "It was truly a group effort tonight in trying to give this child a fighting chance," Bright said, expressing gratitude for everyone involved, in a statement obtained by CBS News Miami.
In the aftermath of this incident, Lt. Bright took the opportunity to stress the imperative to always vigilantly supervise children near water. "We always say, 'Watch the water, watch the kids,'" he explained. Highlighting pool safety, he added, "It only takes a few seconds for a child to go under and it's just a very unfortunate situation when that happens." Moreover, he encouraged that learning CPR is crucial because "the most important thing is that if you see someone who needs resuscitation is to spring into action," CBS News Miami reported.
The Plantation Police are currently investigating the circumstances that led up to the near drowning.
