A child was taken to the hospital on Saturday after nearly drowning in Plantation, police said.
According to Plantation Police, at around 7:46 p.m., officers arrived at 4650 W. Broward Blvd. after receiving reports of a drowning.
Police said that a 4-year-old boy was found unresponsive in the water and an adult pulled him out and started performing CPR until officers and fire rescue arrived.
The child was then taken to the Broward Health Medical Center, where he remains in critical but stable condition.
Recently, there have been several drowning and near-drowning incidents throughout South Florida.
A week ago, a 2-year-old nearly drowned in North Lauderdale.
Before that, a 2-year-old boy died after he was found in a lake in Plantation.
Last month, a 14-year-old boy drowned while swimming in a lake near North Redland Road and Northwest 12th Street. Marcus Sanders’ family is now suing three corporations, alleging the property owners failed to properly secure and maintain the area where the tragedy happened.
Following these incidents, doctors and others are sounding the alarm and want more families to be prepared.
According to the Florida Department of Health, drowning is the leading cause of unintentional death among children ages 1 to 4 in the state.
Experts suggest a multifaceted approach to drowning prevention and water safety, including “layers of protection.” These include:
supervision by an adult
barriers that physically block a child from accessing bodies of water, such as fences, walls or door handles placed high so a child cannot reach
alarms that alert when a child has opened a door
preparedness for both kids and adults, including swim lessons from young ages and CPR training
For more on how to stay safe in the water with children, go here.
An investigation into this latest incident is underway.