Teen on life support after nearly drowning in Kansas City, Kansas, pool
A 13-year-old boy rescued by Kansas City, Kansas, firefighters after nearly drowning in a closed public pool two weeks ago, has since been declared brain dead, the Wyandotte County Sheriff’s Office said this week.
Officials said that over the weekend, it was determined the 13-year-old boy was found to have no brain activity, and as of Saturday afternoon, he remained on life support.
“We are praying for his family and friends during this difficult time,” the sheriff’s office wrote in a post on Facebook.
Just before 7 p.m. on June 5, the Kansas City, Kansas, Fire Department was alerted to a child possibly drowning at the Parkwood Pool in KCK.
“Unfortunately over the weekend, a small group of juveniles jumped a fence to the Parkwood Pool here in KCK,” the sheriff’s office said a few days after the incident. “One of the juveniles jumped into the deep end of the pool but couldn’t make his way out.”
His brother attempted to help him while the other juveniles in the group sought assistance at the nearby fire station. Firefighters were able to rescue the teen, and performed life-saving measures. He was then taken to the hospital in critical condition.
The Parkwood Pool was closed for the summer. The Unified Government said in a statement that, “it was very difficult to recruit lifeguards and other key staff when schools were closed and labor shortages are prevalent across the region.”
Authorities had no updates as of Tuesday afternoon and haven’t released the names of anyone involved since they are juveniles. They also advised the community to be careful around bodies of water to prevent incidents like this one.
“Please if you have children, talk to them about water safety,” Wyandotte County Sheriff’s Office said. “No matter if you can swim or not, do not go into a pool, lake or body of water without proper supervision. Their lives are more important than anything else.”
