4-Year-Old Pulled From Pool In Berkeley: Prosecutor

BERKELEY, NJ — An accidental submersion is under investigation in Berkeley after a 4-year-old boy was rescued from a swimming pool in South Seaside Park, the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office said.

Berkeley police responded to the home on Aug. 30 at about 3:30 p.m. where the boy was reported to be unresponsive after being removed from the pool, Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer said.

Emergency life-saving techniques were performed on the child, Billhimer said.

The boy was taken to Jersey Shore University Medical Center, where he is currently critical but stable as of Saturday morning, Billhimer said.

It's the latest in a series of child submersions and drownings in New Jersey. Last week, a 3-year-old died in Toms River after he was pulled from a backyard swimming pool. Read more: Child, 3, Dies After Being Pulled From Pool In Toms River: Police

Fatal drownings involving children are on the rise nationwide, with several reported since Memorial Day here in New Jersey.

In New Jersey, about one in five people who die due to drowning are kids 14 and younger, according to the state's Department of Health. For every child who drowns, another five children are hospitalized for nonfatal submersion injuries.