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PARKERSBURG - A young child was pulled from the Southwood Park pool by lifeguards after an incident late Thursday afternoon. Initial radio calls dispatched emergency medical personnel just before 5 p.m. to a report of a possible drowning involving a 4-year-old male.
Lifeguards on duty were able to get the child out of the pool and were administering CPR to him when ambulance crews arrived on the scene. The child was transported to the Camden Clark Medical Center.
Radio calls Thursday indicated the child was responsive and breathing in the ambulance, but was having trouble breathing.
Parkersburg Police Captain R.L. Koher said police responded at 4:47 p.m. and when they arrived officers reported lifeguards were in process of giving CPR to the child.
"He began to respond," Koher said. "He was taken by ambulance to Camden and then taken to Ruby (Memorial Hospital in Morgantown).
"At the hospital he was responsive."
Parkersburg Mayor Tom Joyce said the lifeguards to the pools at the city parks are employed through the Parkersburg YMCA who has a long-term multi-management contract to provide staffing and trained lifeguards.
"All indications are the lifeguard personnel on staff responded swiftly and appropriately," he said. "They got the young person out of the pool, cleared the airway and EMS was called, arrived on scene and took over patient care and transported the patient."
Officials with Parkersburg YMCA said they couldn't comment on the incident Friday, but were preparing a statement that is expected to be released early next week.
A post on the Parkersburg YMCA Facebook page said the Southwood Park Pool was closed Friday.
"Thank you for your understanding as we give our staff a day off," the post said. "We look forward to welcoming everyone back soon!"
Another post from the City of Parkersburg - Government Facebook page said the Southwood Park Pool and the City Park Pool were closed Friday due to the air quality advisory because of smoke in the area coming from wildfires in Canada.
A condition report on the child was not available at press time.