Mumbai: Timely help saves drowning teen in Dadar

The ambulance stationed outside the Dadar pool helped save the life of a 17yearold member on Saturday midday in a recent series of articles highlighted the lack of safety measures at civicrun swimming pools and showed how such facilities can save life and limbAround 945 pm the teenager was spotted by a lifeguard in an unconscious state in the 18footdeep pool after accidentally slipping and hitting his chin on a corner of the deckStaffers and members rushed the boy to Hinduja Hospital in the ambulance stationed outside the pool His father told midday that had the ambulance not been there the teen would not be alive The boy who was admitted at Hinduja Hospital is on the ventilator and is said to be critical as water had entered his lungs The Shivaji Park police rushed to the hospital after being informed of the incident by the pool management and took stock of the situationThe Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Olympic Swimming Poolmiddays series highlighted how the members of the BMCs popular pools suffer due to a lack of important safety measures and equipment such as first aid kits stretchers and ambulance services When this newspaper visited eight civic swimming pools across the city only two had ambulances and a doctor on handThe victim is a resident of Mahim After his summer vacation he and his younger brother signed up to use the Shivaji Parkbased Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Olympic Swimming Pool The teens father told midday that the truth will come out only after his son recovers because he was the only witness to what had exactly happenedAlso Read Mumbai Did you know BMC takes no responsibility for swimming pool mishapsHe added ldquoBoth my sons became members of the facility a few days ago On Saturday when the 17yearold was walking towards the lockers he slipped and fell into the pool He received injuries to the chin and lost consciousness A lifeguard immediately jumped into the water and rescued himrdquoldquoMy other son was in another pool and when a crowd gathered at the accident spot he saw lifeguards administering CPR to his brother My son was rushed to the ambulance on a stretcher Inside the vehicle a doctor administered CPR and first aid Due to this he was savedrdquo thefather statedDoctors conducted an MRI on Thursday to check if any brain damage had occurred The report is yet to be released The doctors are trying their best to save the victimThe father stated ldquoThe lifeguard told me what had happened I donrsquot have any option but to believe the pool staff but once my son recovers I will ask him what happenedrdquoHe also thanked the BMC and pool authorities for ensuring that the facility had safety measures which proved crucial to his sons survival However no such facilities are available at the most civicrun pools in the city as according to the BMC the cost of retaining them is too highAsked about the incident a BMC spokesperson said ldquoThe boy was rescued immediately by a lifeguard after he came out of the learners pool An 108 ambulance was stationed at the spot and a doctor administered first aid after which the boy opened his eyes We inform every new joiner during the admission process not to swim in the deep end if they have no knowledge about swimming We also keep instruction boards outside our poolsrdquoApril 29Day incident occurred