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3-year-old girl rescued from bottom of pool while choking in Shelby Township

By and FOX 2 Staff
Published  September 3, 2024 6:57pm EDT
Shelby
FOX 2 Detroit

Family, crews rescue drowning 3-year-old in Shelby Township

An off-duty public safety officer, who is neighbors with the family, came over to assist the mother until first responders arrived, according to police.

SHELBY TOWNSHIP, Mich. (FOX 2) - A 3-year-old girl is still recovering after nearly drowning in a pool while choking on food in Shelby Township Sunday night. 

According to Shelby Township police, the child was found at the bottom of the pool by her mother, who started performing CPR on her while on the phone with dispatchers. 

The incident took place just after 8 p.m. on Bournemuth Drive off Hayes, near 24 Mile Road. 

"We got there as quick as we could in our engine and helped out as much as we could," said Eric Olivier with the Shelby Township Fire Department. "Usually when it's pediatric, it sends everything racing."

A neighbor with medical training quickly assisted the mother until emergency medical services arrived shortly after. 

"Any calls with pediatrics are are challenging. It's never good to watch a kid in any kind of distress," said Shelby Township firefighter Kevin Newhouse, who also responded to the scene. "To top it all off, there was a family gathering going on, so there were a lot of people in the backyard and it was just a chaotic scene."

The toddler was taken to Children's Hospital, where she is now recovering after being in critical condition.