This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
A lifeguard rescued a 6-year-old girl playing in a wave pool at Provo's Seven Peaks Waterpark after she nearly drowned Friday afternoon.
Emergency personnel responded to Seven Peaks, but the girl was rescued quickly enough and is doing well, according to Seven Peaks CEO Gary Brinton.
Brinton said the girl was in the wave pool by herself when the incident happened. A supervisor on lifeguard duty saw the girl doing fine, but about ten seconds later looked back and saw the child struggling, according to Brinton. The lifeguard pulled her out of the water and began administering CPR as the girl began to throw up and start crying.
Provo Fire and Rescue said the child was conscious when paramedics arrived to transport the girl to Utah Valley Regional Medical Center.
Two employees with Seven Peaks Waterpark rode with emergency responders to the hospital, because the mother of the girl could not be located over a loudspeaker, Brinton said. Eventually, the mother was located within the water park and notified her daughter was taken to the hospital.
The supervisor said the girl "couldn't have been under water for more than 10-12 seconds," Brinton said, adding he was pleased an unfortunate incident had a good result.
Provo Fire Battalion Chief Lynn Schofield confirmed crews responded to a possible drowning call at the state's largest water park at about noon. The incident is an opportunity to remember to be "aware of what is going on around us," Scholfield wrote in a news release. "Only a moment or two separates a positive outcome from tragedy."
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