A 2-year-old boy is back home and fully recovered thanks to the rapid actions of a family member and two Marion County Sheriff’s Office deputies who saved him from a near-fatal drowning.
The incident occurred on Monday, April 20, at approximately 10:30 a.m. at an Airbnb rental located on Pecan Pass.
According to MCSO, the toddler had been playing in the living room before he managed to open a sliding glass door and wander onto the patio, where he fell into the swimming pool.
A family member realized the child was missing within minutes and pulled him from the water, but the boy was not breathing.
Master Sergeant Tiffany Warren and Corporal Carlos Arias were the first to arrive at the scene and immediately began rendering life-saving aid to the boy on the patio. Warren provided multiple rescue breaths and repeatedly placed the child on his side to help him expel the water he had inhaled. After several minutes of effort, the toddler began to spit up fluids.
As Marion County Fire Rescue sirens were heard approaching, Corporal Arias scooped up the boy and ran to meet the ambulance at the roadway to expedite his care.
The child was initially stabilized at AdventHealth before being transferred to Shands Hospital. After receiving treatment, he made a full recovery and has since been discharged to his family.
The following video released by the Marion County Sheriff’s Office shows the body camera footage of the rescue:
“We are so glad that this story had a happy ending,” the Sheriff’s Office said in a statement. “If that family member had not realized that the little boy was in the pool for even a few minutes longer, this would have ended much differently.”
The agency also praised Warren and Arias for their quick thinking and for utilizing their life-saving training during the emergency.