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MAGNA — A 12-year-old boy in critical condition was transported by life flight to Primary Children's Hospital Tuesday evening after falling through the ice of a community pool.
Police estimate the boy was under the water of the Magna Recreation Center for 15 to 20 minutes, according to Lt. Justin Hoyal with the Unified Police Department.
The boy and his friend were playing at a nearby park just before 5:00 p.m. when the boy told his friend he was going to hop the fence of the pool area and use the restroom, Hoyal said.
A few minutes later, his friend heard a loud noise accompanied by a scream. He then jumped the fence but was unable to get his friend out of the water, so he ran home to get his father, Hoyal said.
Officers and firefighters responded to the area just after 5:00 p.m., and some of the firefighters jumped into the icy pool to rescue the boy, who was floating at the top of the pool, surrounded by ice chunks, Hoyal said.
Firefighters performed CPR on the boy for 30 minutes, and he was flown to the hospital, Hoyal said.
"We would recommend to anybody that's around the ice, especially this year, the temperatures have been warmer and the ice has been thinner in many areas, to be cautious," Hoyal said.
A spokesman for Salt Lake County Parks and Recreation said water is kept in the pool during cold month to prevent damage.
Contributing:Devon Dolan
