Boy Nearly Drowns At Newton Summer Camp Pool

NEWTON, MA — A little boy is alive Tuesday afternoon thanks to quick-acting lifeguards at a summer camp in Newton. The lifeguards at the Fessenden School summer camp jumped into action after seeing the boy in distress, pulling him from the water and administering CPR as someone called 911. When first responders got there, the 8-year-old boy was fully conscious and alert, police and firefighters confirmed. The lifeguards had also cleared the pool of other swimmers.

EMS transported the boy to nearby Newton-Wellesley Hospital.

Just before 1 p.m., a call came into 911 reporting that a boy was underwater, according to Newton Fire Department Lt. Michael Bianchi. Two lifeguards were on duty at the outdoor pool as a number of other children swam. They saw the boy and pulled him out of the water and started CPR. After a few rounds, the boy started spitting up water, according to Bianchi.

"The lifeguards did their job," Lt. Bruce Apotheker spokesperson for the Newton Police Department.

Patch reached out to officials at the Fessenden School. An official said the school sent this letter home to parents of the summer school-goers about what happened, but gave few details:

"I want to make you aware that there was an incident at one of our pools today. The lifeguards and aquatics staff, nurses, and all staff responded swiftly and appropriately,"Fessenden Summer Camps Director Rusty Paine said in the email. "First responders were called. The parents of the child were contacted. They are with their child now who is resting comfortably. Please understand that due to privacy concerns we cannot share any more information at this time. Please feel free to contact me with concerns."

Drowning was the leading cause of unintentional injury death among Massachusetts children up to the age of 14 years in 2015, according to the most recent data available. That year, there were 39 unintentional drowning deaths in Massachusetts and an additional 223 nonfatal near-drowning cases required treatment at a Massachusetts acute care hospital.

Drowning rates are highest for children younger than 5 and for young people between the ages of 15 and 24, according to the CDC. And almost 80 percent of the people who drown are male.

Swimming under the supervision of lifeguards and taking swimming lessons drastically reduce the risk of drowning, according to experts.

Here are some swimming safety tips from state officials.

In the case of the boy in Newton, first responders are praising the lifeguards.

"The lifeguards did a great job. A really great job," Bianchi said.

Also read:

Top 5 Reasons To Sign Up Your Children For Swimming Lessons

Patch reporter Jenna Fisher can be reached at Jenna.Fisher@patch.com or by calling 617-942-0474. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram (@ReporterJenna).