Boy, 4, gives family scare in Maricopa pool

A 4-year-old boy had a close call in a community pool in Maricopa mid-afternoon Sunday.

The unidentified boy was swimming with family members in the Villages subdivision near John Wayne Parkway and Smith Enke Road when he began to struggle.

“He went under and took a couple of big gulps of water, and family members pulled him out of the pool,” said Jon Sheaffer, a firefighter and spokesman with the Maricopa Fire Department.

Family members began CPR, and the boy coughed and vomited. He was taken to Cardon Children’s Medical Center in Mesa to be checked out as a precaution.

“It was fortunate, not necessarily that it happened, but that his family members were keeping an eye on him, or else it could have been tragic,” Sheaffer said.

Maricopa firefighters go into schools to deliver messages about fire and water safety.

“Whether that program had an impact, I can’t say … but it brings awareness,” Sheaffer said.

“Even if it’s a matter of seconds, keep your eyes on your little ones and other people’s little ones.”