Boy, 5, Nearly Drowns In Peninsula Pool: Fire Dept.

MENLO PARK, CA — The Menlo Park Fire Protection District is reporting a near drowning in Menlo Park Thursday. The incident happened just before noon at the Burgess Park Pool, according to fire officials.

Agency Spokesman Michael Ralston says firefighters responded at 11:46 a.m. to the scene — within two minutes of getting the call for help.

"After an extremely quick 2-minute response time, Engine 2 arrived to find a 5- year old boy in distress at the poolside, apparently having had a drowning experience in approximately 3 feet of water," Ralson said in a news release.

The boy was taken to Stanford Hospital, where he was reportedly conscious and breathing on his own.

"The swimming facility, operated by Menlo Swim and Sport, was able to contact the boy’s father who arrived shortly," Ralston said.

Lifeguards on duty told firefighters that the child had likely only been in distress for a few seconds.

"This underlines how quickly a situation can turn bad in the water," Fire Chief Harold Schapelhouman said.

Fire officials say that though it's not common, drownings can and do happen in just a few inches of water.

"Engine 2 and Engine 3’s rapid response time helped tremendously in getting this little boy breathing again," Ralston said.

A similar incident happened at Burgess Pool in 2015, "...which also benefitted from the firefighters’ swift action and relevant training to minimize a potentially devastating situation," Ralson said.

Patch file photo by Renee Schiavone