Near-drowning victim still in hospital

The 3-year-old who fell into a pool Sunday and was pulled out and given CPR is in a pediatric intensive care unit in Mesa Monday, where he is in good and stable condition, said Brad Pitassi, senior public information officer for the Maricopa Fire Department.

“From all signs, the child is doing well,” he said.

When MFD crews arrived, they found the child awake and crying. The boy was transported by ambulance to Banner Health Cardon’s Children’s Medical Center in Mesa.

Pitassi said although a person may appear fine after being submerged in water for an extended time, there is a 48-hour time frame in which that individual needs to be observed.

Water that gets into someone’s lungs can contain bacteria that could cause a fatal infection, he said. “Some people die after these events.”

Fortunately, the water in the pool in which the child was submerged was a “blue pool” or one that had clear water, he said.

“It was a well-maintained pool with a proper barrier,” he said.

The risk of infection is greater when people inhale water from “green pools,” or ones not properly maintained, he said.