Two off-duty firefighters sprang into action to rescue a five-year-old boy who fell into a pool at a resort in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea.
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According to the officials with the City of Pompano Beach, fire rescue crews arrived at the Plunge Resort on Sunday after receiving reports of a drowning involving a child in a pool.
NBC6 spoke to a man at the resort who said the boy was playing when he slipped and fell in the pool.
“I saw a boy in the water, who was unresponsive,” said a man. “Paramedics were there right away, and they pulled the boy out.”
But before fire rescue arrived, the two off-duty firefighters, one from the Broward Sheriff’s Office and one from Miami-Dade Fire Rescue, were at the resort and performed CPR on the boy, officials said.
Video captured the chaotic moments after witnesses said the child was pulled from the water.
When Pompano Beach Fire Rescue arrived at the pool, crews were able to get the child’s pulse back, and he was taken to Broward Medical Center for treatment.
First responders were seen carrying the young boy out of the pool before rushing him into a waiting ambulance.
Marquc Fernando said the situation quickly turned terrifying.
“I saw the kid in very bad shape; he was breathing but barely, and they were doing the CPR,” he said.
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Fernando described the emotional scene as family members watched first responders trying to save the child.
“I was scared too, and I was trying to help the kid, but I tried to get the father of the kid to calm down,” he said.
Officials said the boy has since woken up and was talking with his doctor and his family.
Sunday’s incident comes as Florida faced a record-breaking number of child drownings in 2025.
Last week, a family was left grieving after a 6-year-old boy drowned in a Southwest Miami-Dade canal that was a block away from his home
County officials across South Florida are making sure resources are available to help better educate communities on water safety
Broward County released tips for National Water Safety Month.
- Teach children water safety and swimming skills as early as possible.
- Appoint a “Designated watcher” to monitor children during social gatherings at or near pools.
- Maintain constant visual contact with children in a pool or pool area
Meanwhile, in Miami-Dade County, leaders are expanding the zero-drowning Miami-Dade Initiative, which is a program that provides free swim lessons, transportation, summer camp water safety programs, and education for families across the county with the goal of preventing more tragedies.
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