Kingsley Setiawan was eight years old when his father believed his arm floaties had slipped off during a pool party in Irvine on August 1, leaving him underwater and unconscious in the deep end for nearly 10 minutes. His father had looked away for only 14 steps before realizing his son was missing, then dove in to pull him out and start CPR.
The harrowing timeline of that afternoon, and the family's emotional reunion with the officers who helped save the boy's life, was detailed by CBS News Los Angeles. According to the outlet, Irvine Police Department officers Alex Mendoza and Ramon Lerma happened to be working a security detail directly across the street when Kingsley went missing, letting them reach the pool within moments of the father's frantic call for help.
The officers took over CPR from the boy's father and worked for five minutes before detecting a pulse just as paramedics arrived on scene, the station reported. Officers said Kingsley was still lifeless, with water and mucus coming out, when they stepped in to continue compressions and rescue breaths.
A Recovery Doctors Called a Miracle
Kingsley spent three days in intensive care before making a complete recovery and returning home without any permanent brain damage, per the same account. Attending physicians reportedly described the absence of neurological damage after nearly 10 minutes underwater as a miracle.
The rescue also highlighted a technical shift in emergency medicine. Revised guidelines published in November 2024 by the American Heart Association recommend CPR with rescue breaths alongside chest compressions for drowning victims, while noting that compression-only CPR is reasonable when a rescuer is unwilling, untrained, or unable to provide breaths. Drowning-related cardiac arrest is most often caused by severe hypoxia.
Officer Mendoza's history of youth interventions predates this rescue. He previously earned a Medal of Valor early in his career after saving two children from a burning house as a rookie, and he now serves as a D.A.R.E. officer in Irvine elementary schools. He has said his earlier fire rescue shaped his decision to work closely with local schoolchildren.
Another Close Call at an Irvine Pool Weeks Earlier
Kingsley's rescue was not an isolated incident for Irvine police this summer. In a case Hoodline covered in August, three Irvine officers performed CPR to revive an unresponsive child found submerged at the bottom of an apartment complex pool. That child was treated at Children's Hospital of Orange County and also made a full recovery.
The back-to-back rescues arrive against a sobering backdrop. Orange County Fire Authority data shows the county recorded 89 total drowning incidents in 2024, including 36 involving children ages 0 to 4, with most occurring in residential or community pools. Silent drowning incidents can unfold in 20 to 60 seconds.
The Orange County Health Care Agency has confirmed that drowning consistently ranks as the leading cause of preventable injury death for children ages 1 to 4 across both Orange County and California. The agency hosts annual Water Safety Challenges aimed at teaching families drowning-prevention basics.
Why Floaties Failed Kingsley in the Deep End
Kingsley's near-drowning also underscores a distinction health authorities say too many parents miss. The U.S. Coast Guard and health officials classify inflatable arm floaties as toys rather than safety devices, warning that they can easily dislodge or slip off and create a false sense of security in deep water. Safety experts instead recommend properly fitted, Coast Guard-approved life vests.
Irvine has faced similar scares before. In June 2023, bystanders at the city's Royal Oak Pool pulled a young girl from the bottom of the pool and administered CPR before emergency crews arrived, according to CountyNews.TV. Local emergency responders used that earlier incident to encourage more parents to seek out CPR training.
