Heart problem may be to blame in near drowning

A pre-existing medical condition seems to have contributed to a near drowning Wednesday at the Carson City Aquatic Center.

Sheriff Ken Furlong said Thursday that the 11-year-old Dayton boy recovered unconscious from the shallow end of the pool had open heart surgery when he was younger.

According to police reports, about 6 p.m. a 15-year-old swim instructor was working with Benjamin Anderson, 11, and his younger brother when the instructor had the boys paddle boogie boards out to the second line in the pool near the lifeguard stand.

Video of the incident shows Benjamin slowly drift off the boogie board and sink.

"There is no apparent struggle. For whatever reason he rolled over onto his back and just sank," said Furlong.

Within seconds the instructor saw Benjamin under the water and jumped in, quickly grabbing him and pulling him to the surface. She then swam back to the side of the pool and lifted him onto the deck.

"The aquatic center surveillance systems were in place and presented us an excellent opportunity to really scrutinize every moment the boy was in the water and there does not appear any reason for him to have gone down," said Furlong.

Parks and Recreation Director Roger Moellendorf said a lifeguard and another swimmer began to administer CPR. Prior to para-

medics arriving, pool staff used a defibrillator on

the boy. Ultimately he regained a pulse.

The video shows that amid the excitement the 15-year-old instructor made certain that Benjamin's little brother also got safely out of the pool.

"I think that was such an extraordinarily admirable reaction. She ensured while they had one emergency in front of them, a second emergency didn't happen behind them," Furlong said.

The boy was taken to Carson Tahoe Regional Medical Center and seemed to be improving, said Furlong, but about 9 p.m., after he was taken by helicopter to Renown Regional Medical Center in Reno, Benjamin took a turn for the worse.

Doctors again were able to stabilize him and he was transferred Thursday morning to Salt Lake City where he's been joined by his parents Darren and Niki Anderson and three siblings.

"From the onset it has been difficult to assess why he went under water," said Furlong. "He was underwater for less than 25 seconds. He didn't appear to struggle. When he was removed from the pool he was non-responsive so we are suspecting his medical condition may have contributed to him falling below the surface. I don't believe he was not breathing because of the water."

Moellendorf said in reviewing the video, he is comfortable with the reaction of pool staff, especially the teen instructor.

"As soon as she realized what was happening she made the rescue and got him up there. I think she did exactly what she is supposed to do," he said. "It's just a tragedy all around, especially for the family."