Fast Action Saved Toddler From Drowning, Authorities Say

EAST LAKE, FL — A 2-year-old boy who nearly drowned in a backyard pool on Memorial Day weekend is on the mend, according to local emergency officials.

“The child was cyanotic and lethargic when Lt. Baclawski and his crew arrived,” East Lake Fire Rescue reported on its Facebook page Wednesday. “They were able to stabilize the patient.”

The child was taken to a local hospital for treatment and is doing better, the agency reported.

“Due to actions taken by the family and our crew, it looks like this potential tragedy will have a happy ending,” the agency wrote.

The state of Florida has more under age 5 drownings than any other, the Florida Department of Health reports on its website.

“Annually in Florida, enough children to fill three to four preschool classrooms drown and do not live to see their fifth birthday,” the agency wrote. “In 2013, Florida had the highest unintentional drowning rate in the nation for the 1-4 year old age group with a drowning rate of 7.54 per 100,000 population.”

To help reduce those numbers, the state has dedicated an entire website to the topic of drowning prevention. It advises that three “layers of protection” are required: supervision, barriers to keep unsupervised kids away from water and emergency preparedness.

Detailed information on drowning prevention is available on the WaterProofFL website.

Image via Shutterstock

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