Lifeguards inaction at NYC pool almost costed life of a young boy

A five year old boy was seriously injured after he nearly drowned at a NYC pool and witnesses are pointing fingers at the lifeguards who remained seated on their chairs while a good Samaritan dove in the pool and saved the child.

The accident occurred last Sunday at the McCarren Park Pool in Brooklyn. 37 year old Anthony Torres, a former lifeguard, was enjoying the day at the pool with his family. He was swimming with his sister when he heard a lady  screaming about a child drowning.  He saw the child lying at the bottom of the pool and  immediately dove to pick up the child. As he got the young boy out, he started to scream for help but instead of running to the rescue, lifeguards just stayed seated on their chairs staring at him and not one of them would come down. Anthony took the child out of the water and  went to the deck where he put him on the side position in order for the child to be able to evacuate the water out of his body. As water started to pour out of the nose and the mouth of the child, a guard finally arrived and started to perform CPR on the child.

The boy was unconscious and it took at least 3 minutes until he opened his eyes and started to breath normally again. More lifeguards then arrived as well as the police and instead of thanking Anthony Torres for his help, they acted very aggressively toward him and pushed him away, telling him to go home and pretending they were the ones who saved the boy. (see video of  witness testimony in the Daily Mail).

The boy was rushed to the hospital and he is expected to recover. The pool was closed for the rest of the day.

Picture of the McCarren Pool Park: courtesy of Google Map