Lifeguard saves 5-year-old child from drowning at Acton pool

ACTON, Mass. — A 19-year-old lifeguard is being heralded a hero for jumping into action Sunday afternoon when a child sank to the bottom of a pool.

Crews responding to the Bellows Farms condo complex just after 5 p.m. for a report of a young child being pulled from the water found the lifeguard performing two rounds of CPR on a 5-year-old boy, according to Acton Police.

The child, who was alert and conscious due to the efforts of the lifeguard, was transported to a local hospital and is expected to be okay.

Officials say the boy was swimming in the pool when he became detached from his flotation device and sank to the bottom. The child was underwater for about 30 seconds when the lifeguard saw and dove into the pool and pulled him out, according to authorities.

Police determined the boy’s parents were along the side of the pool when he drifted into the deep end.

The lifeguard was on a scheduled break at the time of the save.

Police Chief James Cogan and Fire Chief Anita Arnum are commending the 19-year-old for rescuing the boy.

The incident is believed to be an accident.

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