A 5-year-old child has died following a drowning incident Saturday morning just north of Seaside Park, despite rapid intervention by bystanders, lifeguards, and emergency responders.
The Fernandina Beach Fire Department and Ocean Rescue responded to a distress call at 11:52 a.m. after beachgoers flagged down lifeguards stationed at Tower 8, reporting a child in trouble roughly 140 yards north of the tower. The child had been discovered face down in 2 to 3 feet of water, approximately five feet from the shoreline.
Conditions at the time were considered moderate, with yellow caution flags flying and no rip currents reported in the area.
Before lifeguards could reach the scene, bystanders had pulled the child from the water and began CPR. Ocean Rescue personnel arrived within moments and immediately took over life-saving measures. The Fernandina Beach Fire Department arrived shortly after and assumed advanced care.
The child was transported from the beach to a rescue unit in the Seaside Park parking lot and had a pulse upon transfer to EMS care. However, the child went into cardiac arrest again at the hospital and could not be revived.
Authorities have not released the identity of the child.
Fernandina Beach Police have launched an investigation to determine the events leading up to the tragedy. At this time, it is not known how long the child had been in the water.
Support teams have been made available to Ocean Rescue and Fire Department personnel involved in the incident, including critical incident stress debriefing and peer counseling.
In a press release, the Fernandina Beach Fire Department said “Our thoughts are with the child’s family during this devastating time. We are also grateful to the bystanders who acted quickly and to our responders who gave everything they had.”
The investigation remains ongoing.
JoeW
Prayers going UP!
5 days ago Report this