MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WMBF) — Rescue crews rushed a 12-year-old boy to a hospital Monday night after he was trapped underwater in a lazy river.
A city official says the boy was playing at the Avista Resort when his leg got caught in a suction line in the lazy river.
A woman says another boy alerted her to help, but when she jumped into the water the boy trapped was unresponsive.
Tiffany Perez says she couldn’t pull him out of the water, so she ran for more help.
“Three individuals that worked here ran quickly into the maintenance room and shut off the pumps and it was just moments after that first responders arrived,” Perez explained. “And honestly, without hesitation, several of them just jumped right in and started to work on the little boy and within a minute or so they got him pulled out.”
Police say they performed CPR on the boy and detected a slight pulse before transporting him to a nearby hospital.
A representative for Avista says the resort can’t comment at this time but said what happened is sad and they need to help the family.
Officials with the Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) and North Myrtle Beach police are investigating.
WMBF reports DHEC records show the two most recent, unannounced inspections for both the indoor and outdoor lazy rivers complied with their regulations.