Park official: 5-year-old girl nearly drowns at Cape Splash, taken to hospital

A girl was hospitalized after nearly drowning Tuesday at Cape Splash Family Aquatic Center.

Cape Girardeau parks and recreation director Julia Thompson said her department still was assessing the incident, but confirmed the child, who she said was about 5 years old, was not breathing when lifeguards rescued her from deep water shortly before 1 p.m. Tuesday.

"She'd been underwater, I do not know how long. ... There were two lifeguards who went down and pulled her out," Thompson said.

Thompson said the lifeguards performed rescue breathing on the girl while emergency personnel were summoned.

"I believe she was breathing before she was transported, I think, to Saint Francis," Thompson said.

A news release Tuesday night from the city of Cape Girardeau stated the girl “was alert, responsive and talking at the hospital.”

About two hours after the incident, Cape Splash was open and busy, but a manager referred all questions to the parks and recreation department.

Thompson said the department was in the process of debriefing and trying to ascertain how the incident transpired.

"We have to talk with staff and debrief and get all the witnesses to give us their information if they have it," Thompson said, adding more information will be available once that inquiry is completed.

She said she could not recall the last time emergency personnel were called to the aquatic center.

"We always err on the side of caution, so if we feel like emergency personnel are needed, we'll call them no matter what the incident just to make sure that if anybody has a perceived injury, they are treated immediately," she said.

The incident marks at least the second time in three years a near-drowning has occurred at Cape Splash. In 2015, an unresponsive teen was pulled from deep water, and cellphone video captured lifeguards attempting CPR before a patron took over and resuscitated the girl before emergency personnel arrived.

tgraef@semissourian.com

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