A child's near drowning is reminder to stay vigilant when young ones are swimming

Christopher Walker, Wichita Falls Times Record News
·2 min read
Wichita Falls emergency medics responded to the scene of a possible drowning at an apartment complex swimming pool on Midwestern Parkway. A witness told the Times Record News a young child was treated by medics.
Wichita Falls emergency medics responded to the scene of a possible drowning at an apartment complex swimming pool on Midwestern Parkway. A witness told the Times Record News a young child was treated by medics.

On Saturday, Wichita Falls police and emergency medics responded to a swimming pool at the Woodland Apartments on Midwestern Parkway for a possible drowning.

WFPD spokesman Sgt. Charlie Eipper said the officer was told a child had almost drowned in the pool. Responders found a four-year-old girl had been pulled from the pool and was with her grandmother.

The grandmother told police she had been keeping a close watch on her granddaughter and was watching her the entire time while she was floating on a little green inflatable device in the shallow side of the pool.

The grandmother said she looked away just for a second and when she turned back, she saw her granddaughter under water. She said she screamed out for help and ran over to get her. She said she pulled her out of the pool and noticed she was not breathing. Another woman showed up to help and began CPR. A few short moments later, she began to breathe again, and an ambulance was called.

According to the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, drowning is the leading cause of accidental deaths for kids under the age of five and toddlers. Twenty children have drowned in the state of Texas in 2022 so far.

Poolsafely.org provides these swimming safety tips:

Never leave a child unattended in or near water

  • Always watch children when they are in or near water, and never leave them unattended. Designate an official Water Watcher, an adult tasked with supervising children in the water.

Teach children how to swim

  • Enroll children in swimming lessons; there are many free or reduced-cost options available

Teach children to stay away from drains

  • Do not play or swim near drains or suction outlets, especially in spas and shallow pools, and never enter a pool or spa that has a loose, broken or missing drain cover.

Know how to perform CPR on children and adults

  • CPR classes are available through many hospitals, community centers, or by contacting the American Red Cross.

More safety tips are available on the poolsafely.org website.

This article originally appeared on Wichita Falls Times Record News: A child's near drowning is reminder to stay vigilant when young ones are swimming