3-year-old shows signs of secondary drowning after mother pulls him from pool

Gold Cross Ambulance responds to a possible secondary drowning incident, St. George, Utah, May 30, 2015 | Photo by Nataly Burdick, St. George News

ST. GEORGE — Gold Cross Ambulance responded to a report of a toddler’s possible secondary drowning in St. George Saturday evening.

The call came in at approximately 6:38 p.m., when a mother called 911 worried that her 3-year-old son, Dexter Rocks, was showing symptoms of secondary drowning.

Emily Rocks, the child’s mom, said her kids had been getting ready to go swimming in her mother’s backyard when suddenly she heard screaming from the pool and ran out and found Dexter in the water.

Emily Rocks said she thinks Dexter may have slipped and fallen in, but she’s not sure what exactly happened.

She quickly pulled Dexter from the pool, and he initially seemed fine, she said. But later, Dexter seemed lethargic and tired, which she said is unusual for him.

She said she had read an article about secondary drowning and was worried that her son could still have problems from falling into the pool, so she dialed 911.

Gold Cross responders examined Dexter and said he was fine, she said. By the time they left, she said, Dexter was back to his old self.

As the temperature in Southern Utah picks up, kids are spending more time around water.

It’s important for parents to remember water safety tips and keep a close eye on small children around pools, ponds and other bodies of water.

Parents should also keep in mind that even if a child seems fine after a near-drowning, there is a chance the child can still have after-effects.

The U.S. National Library of Medicine reports that secondary drowning is a post-immersion respiratory syndrome, and it occurs in 5 percent of near-drowning cases involving children.

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Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2015, all rights reserved.

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3 Comments

  • Paul Bottino May 31, 2015 at 10:50 am

    I don’t understand what secondary drowning is. Never heard of it.

    • DB May 31, 2015 at 3:24 pm

      I agree, that could have been explained better. I’ll go look it up.

  • mmsandie May 31, 2015 at 6:46 pm

    Why don,t parents watch their kids, they sent them outside before they went out..

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