Last modified: Friday, April 11, 2008 1:01 AM EDT Y director: Near drowning 'traumatic' BY RICK FOSTER / SUN CHRONICLE STAFF ATTLEBORO - A near drowning of a 6-year-old Studley Elementary School student in an Attleboro YMCA pool Tuesday was a "traumatic and very stressful" situation for patrons and staff members, YMCA Director Duane German said, and the Y has commissioned an independent investigation and will beef up staff training in response to the incident. But German added that it appears lifeguards and staff who were on duty performed as they should have, although the boy was pulled from the water by a 14-year-old swimmer, rather than a lifeguard. "All things considered, the staff acted appropriately," German said. "Can we learn from this situation? Absolutely." The young boy, a regular attendee at a Y-sponsored after-school program, was found at the bottom of 4 feet of water by a swimmer who bumped into the submerged child while swimming. The unconscious boy was carried to the edge of the pool by Jesse Mallon, a 14-year-old Attleboro High School student, and was lifted onto the pool deck by a lifeguard. The child was transported to Sturdy Memorial Hospital after being attended to by YMCA staff and paramedics and was later released, German said. The boy returned to the Y later in the day with his grandfather to retrieve his clothes. "The bottom line is that the child is all right," said German who added that the boy indicated he intends to return to the Y program. Attleboro police investigating the near-drowning found nothing to indicate anything other than an accident, Sgt. Arthur Brillon said. Some witnesses who commented about the incident on The Sun Chronicle Web site, thesunchronicle.com, complained that cardio pulmonary resuscitation was not started immediately and that there were delays in administering oxygen to the boy. German said he can understand witnesses' reactions to the rescue. "To see a young boy, an apparently lifeless body, removed from the pool, I don't know how many people wouldn't panic," he said. When the child was removed from the pool, German said, staff members found that he had a strong pulse and there was shallow breathing. Under the circumstances, CPR was not necessary, German said, although a staff member returned with a bag containing CPR gear and an oxygen bottle. The boy was given oxygen, German said. Staff members immediately gave instructions to place a 911 emergency call for medical assistance, German said. The boy was taken to Sturdy, and later to Hasbro Children's Hospital in Providence. The near-drowning occurred during a family swim period when up to two dozen swimmers were present, from young school children to adults. The boy, who has been attending the after-school program for some time, was known by staff members and judged to be safe inside the pool. German said he did not know whether the child was a proficient swimmer. German said it is estimated the child was under water less than 30 seconds. At the time of the incident, the pool - 5 feet at its deepest, and the shallower of two at the Y - was staffed by a lifeguard and a swimming instructor. However the swimming instructor was not tasked to perform lifeguard duties. Five lifeguards, including two at the deeper pool and another just coming on shift, were available at the time. Prior to the child being found underwater, the teenage lifeguard on duty had had to speak to some youths in the pool because of "boisterous" behavior, German said, and had calmed them down. Such behavior is not unusual, German said. In situations in pools where drownings have occurred, fellow swimmers are often the first to locate the stricken person German said. Roiling of the water by swimmers and visual obstructions formed by others in the pool put poolside observers at a disadvantage. But that doesn't mean the lifeguard was not being attentive, German said. "A half-second later, the guard might have been the first person to see him," he said. The YMCA has already reviewed the incident with staff members, who have agreed to meet with the other Y staff members to share their experiences. German said the guards who were on duty have been profoundly affected, but are handling the incident well. "I think in a situation like that, you go over it in your mind and ask yourself, 'What else could I have done?'" he said. German said the YMCA has already resolved to step up training for its lifeguards and water safety instructors, including more frequent drills where underwater silhouettes are used to simulate drowning victims. The Y also is re-emphasizing its "10-10" system used by guards to monitors pools. It calls for lifeguards to scan the surface of the area under their control for 10 seconds, followed by scanning the bottom for 10 seconds. The scans are alternated continuously during the entire time the pool is occupied. All guards used by the YMCA are certified by the American Red Cross or the Y, German said. During their shifts, guards sit in an elevated chair above poolside to provide a good vantage point. The YMCA's rule of thumb in the number of guards assigned to each shift is based on the number of patrons using the pool. The current ratio of lifeguards to swimmers is 1 to 24, German said. However, the Y is considering increasing the number of guards to allow closer safety monitoring. An independent safety expert has been hired to investigate Tuesday's event and will turn in a report, as well as recommendations, German said.