Off-duty firefighter helps save 4-year-old boy pulled from pool

SHIRLEY, Mass. — An off-duty firefighter helped save the life of a 4-year-old boy who was found face down in a pool on Monday evening.

Officials say the child was found by his mother at their home on Lawton Road in Shirley around 4 p.m. Shirley Police Chief Sam Santiago said the mother had been looking for her son until she found him outside in the pool.

“She lost sight of him for a minute or two,” said Santiago. “Grabbed the child, bought him out to Lawton Road [and] she ran out to the road with the child, and the firefighter was driving by.”

Off-duty Acton Fire Chief Robert Hart was on his way home when he saw the woman standing on the side of the road with the boy in her arms.

“As soon as he arrived there, he had an AED, applied it and used an amps bag, and a suction cup to take out the water that was in his mouth,” said Santiago. “An AED is an automatic defibrillator and it restarts your heart.”

The boy was rushed to Nashoba Valley Medical Center before being transported to Boston Children’s Hospital. Family members quickly showed up to the house and, they left not knowing what had happened to their loved one.

“Keep an eye on your children, especially if you have an above ground pool," said Santiago. “Make sure you keep them close by.”

The boy remains at Boston Children’s Hospital with a team of doctor’s and nurses.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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