PAINESVILLE, Ohio (WHDH) — Officers raced to rescue an unresponsive 4-year-old boy who was found floating in a pond after being reported missing from a family member’s home in Painesville, Ohio on Saturday morning.
Officers responding to a report of a boy missing from a residence just north of Painesville’s Recreation Park around 7:40 a.m. began searching the area before they received a call at 8:12 a.m. reporting a possible floating body in the park’s fishing pond, according to Painesville police.
Officers arrived at the pond and initially did not find the child due to the debris on top of the water.
Officer Daniel Thompson and Sgt. Matthew Tycast soon saw air bubbles and a silhouette of a small person about 20 feet off the bank of the pond, police said.
Officer Chad Balausky retrieved a throw rope for safety as the other officers entered the water in an attempt to rescue the boy.
The child did not appear to be breathing, so the officers began CPR to clear his airways, according to police.
They continued lifesaving efforts until Tycast saw the child breath.
The officers helped the boy get rid of excess water from his system and continued to monitor the child’s breathing until the Painesville Fire Department arrived and began treatment.
He was transported to a medical center, where police say he is in stable condition.
It is believed that the boy left the family member’s home through a sliding rear door and entered the nearby park through a closed rear exit, police said.
An investigation remains ongoing,
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