advertisement

Bartlett lifeguard saves boy from drowning

A lifeguard at the Bartlett Aquatic Center is being hailed as a hero after he rescued a young boy from drowning.

Just before 2 p.m. Monday, the Bartlett Fire Protection District responded to a report that a child had been found unresponsive in a pool at the water park at 620 W Stearns Road, according to Assistant Fire Chief Bill Gabrenya.

When first responders arrived, they found the child alert and crying thanks to the quick thinking of one young lifeguard, Gabrenya said.

The staff at the water park told firefighters the lifeguard on duty was scanning the water and spotted the boy at the bottom of the pool.

Gabrenya said the lifeguard jumped into the pool and pulled the child from the water, immediately performing rescue breaths and CPR. After about 45 seconds of CPR, Gabrenya said, the boy was revived and began to cry.

The lifeguard's name hasn't been released, but Gabrenya said he appeared to be a high school-aged boy.

"Pools are busy this summer, and it really is an amazing story for such a young lifeguard to spot that and remove the child quickly from the water and perform CPR," Gabrenya said.

Officials didn't have any further information about the swimmer who was rescued but said he was taken to St. Alexius Medical Center in Hoffman Estates in good condition.

Article Comments
Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.