Director Says Splash Montana Drowning Rescue ‘Just About Perfect’ [AUDIO]
Early on Monday afternoon, city fire and ambulance crews responded to a near drowning at Splash Montana.
City of Missoula Aquatics Supervisor Eric Seagrave said a lifeguard spotted a young girl floating face-down in one of the pools. The lifeguard pulled her out of the pool and initiated CPR on the child, reviving her. By the time the city firefighters arrived, the girls was breathing on her own and sitting up.
Seagrave said all the lifeguards at the facility are well-trained in lifesaving techniques.
"To even get an interview for a lifeguard position, they have to have passed and completed a lifeguard training course," Seagrave said. "That's a 30-35 hour training course that includes in-water rescue skills, CPR and first aid."
Seagrave said his staff reviewed the days events from beginning to end and was very pleased with the way they handled the potentially life and death situation.
"I'm really happy to say that in reviewing the reports, seeing who did what at what time and when and where, that everything went almost as perfectly as possible," he said. "That's according to the scenarios we have set up in the past. One of the procedures we have set up is that whenever there is a rescue in one part of the pool, we immediately get everyone out of all the other pools and we shut down all facilities. We shut the gates as well, because we never know if its a drowning situation of perhaps an Amber alert."
According to reports, the young girl was checked out at a local hospital and returned home safely.
NBC Montana reports that in June of last year, a two-year old girl reportedly was found unresponsive in the pool. She was revived by pool staff and later fully recovered from the incident.