Pelican Bay Addresses Emergency Protocol After Girl Nearly Drowns

Guests witnessed a scary moment at Pelican Bay in Edmond over the weekend. A girl was pulled from the water, then given CPR.

Pelican Bay management said they had a full staff of lifeguards last Saturday and will internally look into what led to a child nearly drowning.

"Please! Is she breathing? Is she breathing?" can be heard in the background of one of the 911 calls from people who were at Pelican Bay Saturday.

Edmond dispatchers received a handful of 911 calls that day after someone found a child, unresponsive, at the bottom of the Pelican Bay pool. 

The police report said the lifeguard on duty froze and didn't jump in; but Pelican Bay management said having a different guard jump in is in line with their training.

"When a major incident happens, we blow a major whistle it's actually standard for our EAP (emergency action plan). Everyone knows their exact role," a Pelican Bay manager said. "We had plenty of guards here, they were all in their right spot."

The police report said the child took off her lifejacket to go down a slide, which aligns with pool rules. The child, however, did not go under in that slide area. 

Once lifeguards pulled her to the deck what seemed like an onlooker, and not lifeguards, started to give the child CPR. That person was identified as an off duty medical EMT.

"And part of the red cross training is you can stop if EMS or a paramedic essentially can take over," pool managers said. 

"I wouldn't say this is a case where the lifeguard would be even investigated as negligent. It was a crowded park," Edmond PD's Public Information Officer Emily Ward said.

It's still unknown how long the child spent underwater, but she eventually began breathing and even cried as they left in the ambulance.

"To have a child that is unresponsive from the water now responsive, alert and verbalizing is a good sign," the Pelican Bay manager said.

The child stayed in the children's hospital for several days following the incident for observation, she is expected to make a full recovery.