FARMINGTON, Mo. — A 6-year-old boy who was hospitalized after a near-drowning at the Farmington Water Park on July 21.
Two off-duty paramedics, Dustin Tate and John Colwell, were at the water park with their families when the incident occurred, First Alert 4 reported. After seeing a lifeguard dive into the water, they immediately rushed to help.
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“Mind you, we were off duty at the time. So we weren’t in work mode,” Tate said. “We were just having a fun time with our family. So we had to quickly switch from dads to paramedics.”
The pair performed CPR for about six minutes before the boy began breathing again. Both said the rescue was an experience they would not forget.
Tate, an educator with the St. Francois County Ambulance District, said he had trained water park staff earlier in the season and praised their response.
Colwell said the experience stayed with both paramedics long after they left the scene.
“We definitely went home and hugged our children a bit tighter that night,” he said.
The boy has since been released from the hospital and is recovering at home.
