N.Y. boy, 12, in critical condition after drowning, resuscitation

James McClendon
syracuse.com

UNION, N.Y. — A 12-year-old boy is in critical condition at Upstate University Hospital in Syracuse after he nearly drowned in a public pool Friday in Broome County, troopers said.

At about 12:05 p.m., emergency responders and troopers were called for the reported drowning at Highland Park in the town of Union, according to a news release issued Friday by New York State Police.

First responders were at the park within minutes of the 911 call, troopers said. The park, located at 801 Hooper Rd., is owned by the town of Union.

When troopers arrived the boy had already been pulled from the pool by lifeguards and they were performing CPR. The boy was not breathing and he had no pulse, troopers said.

A Bag Valve Mask (BVM) was used to help the boy breathe, troopers said. The BVM is a hand-held device used to provide positive pressure ventilation to patients who are not breathing or are not breathing adequately.

Endwell firefighters then attached an automated external defibrillator (AED) to the boy, while paramedics and members of Union Volunteer Emergency Squad (UVES) used a Lucas Device, which provides automated chest compressions.

The boy was breathing and he had a pulse by the time he was taken by a UVES ambulance to Wilson Medical Center in Johnson City.

He was later airlifted to Upstate University Hospital, Central New York’s only level 1 trauma center.

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