Child strays into retention pond and gets trapped, Charlotte Fire Department says
An adventurous trek into a Charlotte retention pond turned potentially deadly when a child became trapped in the water and disappeared, according to rescuers.
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It happened Wednesday in southwest Charlotte’s Hamilton Woods subdivision, and the child is hospitalized with life-threatening injuries, Medic 911 reports.
“Charlotte Fire received the call at 6:24 p.m. for a young child who was in the water behind a neighborhood. Initial information indicated the child had been seen on camera entering the water. Another child who was in the area alerted an adult,” Charlotte Fire said in a June 17 social media post.
“Engine 37 arrived on scene at 6:29 p.m. and firefighters immediately entered the water to begin searching for the child. … An eyewitness reported seeing the child go into the pond and attempt to make it back to shore but was unable to do so.”
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Additional searchers and divers were called to the scene, resulting in the child being found and “removed from the water at 6:59 p.m.,” officials said.
“Charlotte Fire personnel immediately began medical care and remained with the patient during transport, riding in the ambulance to continue care on the way to a local hospital,” officials said.
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Details of the child’s condition have not been released.
The pond is in the 12100 block of Lady Bell Drive, maps show.
