17-Year-Old Rescued From Big Splash Pool By Lifeguard

Lifeguards jumped in to save a teenager at the bottom of a pool at Big Splash Water Park Wednesday.

The 17-year-old boy went down and didn't resurface in six feet of water.

It was a second-year lifeguard who made the save Wednesday, spotting a boy in the wave pool who wasn't moving.

An ambulance responded to Big Splash Water Park and took the boy to the hospital just a few minutes after the lifeguard pulled him out of the water.

Lifeguard supervisor, Bill Vonthaden said, "He saw the young man didn't come up, he long, loud whistled, signaling an emergency, and went to the bottom and brought the young man up. The young man at that time was breathing, he had a pulse, however, his breathing was erratic, it wasn't normal."

The lifeguard started rescue breathing and the boy quickly recovered. He was taken to a hospital as a precaution.

The rescue happened so quickly, most people coming out to the park, like Keith Gordon and his family, weren't aware anything had happened.

“Saw the fire trucks and ambulance and when we got in the park, saw the guy coming out on a stretcher,” he said.

Big Splash said their response was just what they plan for and expect from their team of lifeguards and the on-site EMT.

They believe the boy wasn't on the bottom much more than ten seconds and was out and getting help within 30 seconds.

"We always want to see within ten seconds that there is a person at the bottom and not coming to the top or at the top yelling for help. We don't want ten seconds to go by and not see that there's a problem," Vonthaden said.

The lifeguards call that the 10-20 rule, a ten-second scan and 20 seconds for the rescue.

EMSA said the 17-year-old boy is expected to be fine.