EMS clinicians from Allegany County, Maryland, are crediting the lifeguards from Rocky Gap State Park with saving the life of a 16-year-old male with muscular dystrophy on Saturday, August 9, 2025, after drowning in the north beach day use area.
I spoke with the patient’s father, Marvin Franco, who said, “Anthony, 16, has muscular dystrophy and my older son, Andrew, 21, has autism. They wanted to go and play in the water. I had gone to the car to get their swimming clothes so they could change.”
Franco, a Montgomery County, Maryland, resident said he was there with his wife and children on a church retreat when the incident occurred.
“I had the towels on my shoulder and kept telling (Anthony and Andrew) not to go too deep,” Marvin said. “That area of the lake; the water doesn’t go above the knees.”
Anthony was walking towards his father when he suddenly fell.
“As soon as (Anthony) fell in the water, I ran over and grabbed him,” Franco said. “His back wasn’t even wet.”
Franco and a good Samaritan retrieved Anthony, who was face down, and started CPR with the assistance of another bystander. Within minutes, help — park officials and the paramedics — started arriving.
Drowning incident
Shortly before 4 p.m. emergency responders were dispatched to Rocky Gap State Park for a reported 16-year-old male found floating face down in the water, according to Allegany County Department of Emergency Services Lt. Joshua Bosley and Vincent Hunter Dortenzo, public information officer for Maryland Natural Resources Police and Department of Natural Resources.
Park Rangers, on-duty lifeguards and good Samaritans performed CPR on the individual before EMS arrived, Dortenzo added.
“Upon arrival, units found lifeguards performing high-quality CPR on a juvenile patient. Our crews worked seamlessly with the lifeguards and park service personnel, providing advanced-level care on scene. Return of spontaneous circulation was achieved and the patient was moved from the beach to the designated landing zone,” Bosley said.
Patient care was transferred to the flight crew of Maryland State Police Aviation Command Trooper 5, who transported the male to West Virginia University Children’s Hospital in Morgantown.
Bosley added, “the Allegany County Joint Communication Center played a critical role in the incident. Recognizing the high acuity of the call, they promptly activated aviation assets early in the response, ensuring the patient could be rapidly transported to a pediatric specialty center.”
Units responding to the incident included Flintstone and Baltimore Volunteer Fire Departments, Allegany County Department of Emergency Services and Maryland State Police Aviation Command, according to Bosley.
“Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest survival rates are typically very low, but in this case, the lifeguards at Rocky Gap immediately recognized the emergency and began lifesaving measures without hesitation. When clinicians arrived, they observed the lifeguards delivering top-notch CPR … combined with the advanced interventions provided by our team, gave the patient the highest possible chance of survival,” Bosley said.
“This incident highlights the outstanding continuity of care in Allegany County … from bystanders and lifeguards initiating CPR, to EMS units providing advanced care, to the swift decision-making by the Joint Communication Center and rapid deployment of aviation for transport to a pediatric specialty center,” Bosley said. “All within a remarkably short timeframe.”
Franco confirmed that Anthony is doing great and is expected to make a full recovery from the incident.
“It was amazing watching the paramedics working as a team. They knew what they were doing, and I knew [we] would have a positive [outcome],” Franco said. “I have no words for how satisfied with the service … I am very thankful.”
National drowning statistics
The CDC estimates there are more than 4,000 unintentional drowning deaths in the U.S. each year. Drowning is the leading cause of death for children 1-4 years old in the United States and is the second leading cause of unintentional death for children ages 5-14.
Maryland drowning statistics
A Maryland Department of Health study from 2010-2019 shows death by drowning was the fifth leading cause of death in children. Of the 67 deaths reviewed, 38 were among Black non-Hispanic children and 26 were among Caucasian non-Hispanic children with approximately 73% being male.
During this 10-year review, Allegany County had zero reported drownings.
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