Firefighters respond to near-drowning incident at local swimming pool
Published at
AMMON — Firefighters responded to a near-drowning on Saturday at the Ammon City swimming pool in McCowin Park.
It happened during Ammon Days around 3 p.m.
A teenage boy was pulled from the pool by lifeguards on duty, according to a statement from the city of Ammon.
Bonneville County Fire District 1 Deputy Chief Keith Banda said firefighters initiated CPR and continued until Idaho Falls Fire Department EMS arrived to treat the teen. He was then transported in an ambulance to a local hospital for treatment.
The teen is currently receiving medical care, the city said. His condition is unknown.
“The city is incredibly grateful for first responders including lifeguards, firefighters, deputies, and paramedics who all performed needed duties in a time of extreme stress. Medical response plans had been put into place during the planning of the annual Ammon Days event and IFFD, BCFD, and BCSO worked together to provide traffic and crowd control and attend to the situation promptly,” the city of Ammon said in a statement.
Banda added that firefighters were on the scene quickly due to the Ammon Days event because they had two first aid stations. However, he wanted to remind people how important it is to know CPR.
“(We) remind everyone to get CPR certified and if you already are trained, maintain your training because you never know when it will be needed. This time, firefighters were on scene, but most other times, first responders are not there to give immediate assistance and that’s what gives someone the best chance at surviving a cardiac arrest,” Banda said.