A young child nearly drowned while swimming at Jungle Island Tuesday morning, officials said.
The incident happened just after 11 a.m. at the park's Parrot Cove Beach, Miami-Dade Fire Rescue officials said.
Jungle Island staff personnel told MDFR officials that a day camp group of children, ages ranging from 3 to 13, were visiting from the Miami Lakes area.
While in the water, the 7-year-old child’s life vest was somehow removed and he attempted to swim to one of the floating inflatables. The child soon became distressed and was unable to stay above water.
After adult supervisors noticed the child struggling, one of the lifeguards pulled the child from out of the water and performed CPR. Emergency personnel responded a short time later.
"The lifeguards initiated CPR and they were able to get a pulse back on him and get him breathing when we arrived," Miami Fire Rescue spokesman Ignatius Carroll said. "Now, how long he was under water, we're not quite sure, but we're happy to say that taking him to the hospital with him crying, asking for his mom, was definitely the kind of response that we look for in situations like this."
According to Jungle Island officials, the child was speaking when the emergency responders arrived.
Local
"It's our policy that any guests that are in our inflatable water park are fitted by a life vest by our lifeguard staff and we'll look into reports that the child was out of it," Jungle Island Manager Chris Gould said.
The water at the park can range from knee-deep to 14 feet deep.
"That's why life vests are worn when you're out there playing, even if you're a really good swimmer," Carroll said. "Now, the question is, how come this little boy didn't have his life vest on?"
The incident is under investigation.
