SHARONVILLE, Ohio -- Jamie Melton remembers the moment her heart stopped Friday night: When she saw lifeguards jumping into the pool at Splash Cincinnati to save a young boy who appeared to have drowned. And she remembers the moment she knew she needed to help.
"Another boy had alerted the guard," she said. "When she jumped in, I went in with her."
At the same time, parents were rushing to collect their own children and police were receiving a frantic 911 call reporting that the boy -- whom the caller estimated to be about 4 or 5 years old -- did not appear to be breathing. Melton watched as they began administering CPR.
"He was completely unresponsive," said Melton. "His eyes were rolled back. He wasn't breathing or anything."
For minutes, she said, it didn't seem to be making a difference. Then he opened his eyes and began to cough up water; Melton said she was shocked by the amount.
"It scares you," she said. "Because it's like, ‘How long was he under the water?'"
That's a question the park owners will try to answer while the boy recovers at the hospital. Nidhi Bedi, who co-owns Splash Cincinnati, said the park decided to shut down for the night once it became clear that the boy would recover. She and the other park staff will conduct their own investigation, she said.
