Neighbors Rescue Toddler From Lake
Child Hospitalized After Fall Into Water
POSTED: Monday, March 15, 2010
UPDATED: 5:47 pm EDT March 15, 2010
NORTH LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- Neighbors rescued a 19-month-old boy who fell into a lake near his house on Monday morning.
According to the Broward Sheriff's Office, the toddler, Marcus Smith, wandered out of his father's home in the 2000 block of Southwest 81st Avenue through a sliding door at about 11:15 a.m. The child's father, Devon Smith, did not notice that the boy had gone outside.
Police said Marcus Smith somehow ended up in a lake behind his house, possibly after falling down a slope.
Two neighbors, Zikiya Gines and Dacosta Rohan, saw something moving in the lake and went to find out what it was. They found the child unresponsive and pulled him out of the water, according to BSO.
Police said Gines and Rohan performed CPR on the child to revive him.
"We ran out into the street. We had the baby in the recovery position. … I'm a flight attendant, so I learned it in training," Gines said. "I was so nervous."
Devon Smith drove his son to University Hospital in Tamarac, and he was later transferred to Plantation General Hospital for more treatment.
BSO said that as standard procedure, BSO Abuse and Neglect detectives and the Child Protective Investigations Section were notified.
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