Newark Girl, 4, Nearly Drowns In Lake At Branch Brook Park

NEWARK, NJ — A young Newark girl is in a “promising” condition after nearly drowning at a lake in Essex County, authorities announced Tuesday.

According to the Essex County Sheriff’s Office, the harrowing encounter took place on Monday evening at Branch Brook Park, which is located in Newark and Belleville.

Here’s what happened, authorities said:

“A mother from Newark, who was at the 8th Avenue playground at Branch Brook Park with her children, noticed that her daughter, age 4, was missing. After canvassing the area, she notified an Essex County sheriff’s officer who was nearby. The officer notified central dispatch, and units were dispatched to search the area. The officer also called for EMS.”

That was when things took a desperate turn, according to the sheriff’s office:

“The mother then saw the child’s scooter near the roadway adjacent to the lake in the park by the boat house, and that her daughter was unresponsive and submerged in the lake. The mother and officer jumped in to rescue the child. CPR was performed by the Essex County sheriff’s officer, and the child was taken by the Essex County sheriff’s officers to the pediatric intensive care unit at University Hospital.”

Sheriff’s officers later followed up at the hospital and inquired about the child’s condition. They were advised that the child’s condition was “promising,” and that assessments would take two or three days, authorities said.

“I commend our officers for the quick actions taken at the scene, the outcome of this situation could have been dire,” Essex County Sheriff Armando Fontoura said.

“The actions taken by our officers directly attributed to the child’s current promising condition,” Fontoura said. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the family for a swift and full recovery.”

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