Lifeguards Prevent Child from Drowning at Freedom Aquatic Center

According to eyewitnesses, at 6:43 p.m., lifeguards pulled a non-responsive nine-year-old girl from the water and administered CPR. "I was leaving as the lifeguards were pulling a little girl's completely lifeless body out of the water," the individual who made the initial 911 call, said. "They started CPR and she eventually began moving and even sat up and screamed."  The cause of the incident was not reported by Fire & Rescue officials or the Prince William County Police. Robin Herron, Managing Editor of Strategic Communications for George Mason University, explained that eyewitnesses reported that the girl, who had just finished swim practice and was swimming with her friends, was discovered by a lifeguard. “A lifeguard noticed she was not moving. They immediately pulled her from the water and performed routine rescue on her,” Herron said. The girl was rescued by two lifeguards on duty Thursday night, who also administered CPR on the girl, so that she was, "awake" and "cognizant" by the time the EMTs arrived. According to Herron, the lifeguards are still shaken up by the incident and do not want to speak with the press at this time. For this reason, the Freedom Center has also decided to withhold their names. Nokesville and Stonewall Jackson Volunteer Fire & Rescue Departments responded and transported the young girl to a local medical facility following the incident. Herron said they do not know what caused the girl to pass out in the water.