UPDATE: Girl, 6, Nearly Drowns At HVL Pool

Hidden Valley Community Pool

HVL POA

Update posted at 11:55 a.m.:

Hidden Valley Community Pool lifeguard Autumn Menkedick and pool patron Jim Hancock are being credited with saving a young girl’s life Saturday afternoon.

Hancock said the six-year-old was seen floating on top of the water for two to three minutes. Other swimmers around the girl assumed she was simply trying to see how long she could hold her breath. After two or three minutes, Hancock became worried and jumped into the water to check on the girl.

“When I turned her over she was purple,” Hancock, a Hidden Valley resident, said.

Hancock swam the girl to the edge of the pool and called for help. Menkedick helped Hancock pull the her from the water. They both began performing CPR – one of them breathing for the girl and the other performing chest compressions.

“We got a lot of water out of her right off the bat,” Hancock recalled.

After about five sets of CPR the child regained consciousness.

“When she was crying I knew she was going to be alright,” he said.

Bright Fire EMTs transported the girl to a local hospital.

HVL lifeguard Audrey Roth said there was no hesitation in the effort and that Menkedick is still a little shaken up. Another witness said Menkedick’s response was the fastest they had ever seen.

Hidden Valley Lake Recreation Manager Angie Ruberg declined to identify the young girl who was saved. 

Eagle 99.3's Jake Griffin contributed to this story.

Original story posted at 7:08 a.m.:

(Hidden Valley, Ind.) – A lifeguard is being credited with possibly saving a young girl’s life at a local swimming pool Saturday.

A six-year-old girl was reported unconscious at the Hidden Valley Community Pool at about 3:30. Bright Fire Department Assistant Chief Tom Stevens called the situation a “near drowning.”

A lifeguard at the pool performed CPR on the girl, who then vomited and regained consciousness.

Eagle 99.3 is trying to learn the names of the girl who almost drowned and the name of the lifeguard who gave her life-saving CPR.