Two Eclectic juveniles were pulled from a swimming pool by friends and bystanders Monday afternoon.
“We very nearly had a double fatality today of two young high school students,” Eclectic EMS director Alan Nummy said.
The Eclectic Fire Department received a call at 1:35 p.m. Monday about two juveniles drowning in a swimming pool. Within five minutes an Eclectic ambulance was on the scene.
“Both juveniles had been pulled out of the water by other juveniles and possibly an adult,” Nummy said. “There is no doubt they saved lives.”
Nummy said the five minutes was critical. He said they might have lived but it would not be good.
“Those extra five minutes under water are critical,” Nummy said. “If you are submerged and have to be treated, it’s called a non-fatal drowning.”
The two juveniles were transported to local hospitals. Based on a Facebook post one of them has been released and one is at Children’s Hospital in Birmingham being treated.
Nummy said the two juveniles are lucky.
“It’s the first drowning patient I have had to live,” Nummy said.
The EMS director recalled a weekend several years ago where a toddler drowned on back to back days.
“That was a rough weekend,” Nummy said. “We could have had that happen today.”
Nummy said Eclectic has two ambulances.
“One is staffed 24/7/365,” Nummy said. “The other is staff when we have licensed crew available. That was the case today and we had two respond.”
