Phoenix firefighters, 6-year-old drowning survivor affirm water safety

PHOENIX — This Memorial Day weekend, coronavirus fears could keep many Arizonans off the roads and around their swimming pools.

A survivor of a drowning, his mother and Phoenix firefighters took the opportunity Tuesday to remind everyone how to safely enjoy pools and large bodies of water.

Strider Buck is now 6 years old, but when he was just 11 months old, Buck rushed past an unlocked gate and fell into a swimming pool.

“We have no idea how long he was under water,” his mother, Teri Buck, said. “All I know is that … he had no pulse and he was not breathing.”

Strider’s father had pulled the boy from the pool.

“He couldn’t dial 911 because his hands were wet, and he couldn’t operate his phone,” She recalled. “So he ran him across the street to our neighbor’s house who had taken one CPR class ten years before.

“She took him and laid him on her carpet and started CPR. Within about three minutes, he took his first breath.”

First responders arrived minutes later and finished the life-saving measures.

“As important as it is to watch your kids around water, I think it’s very important to also know CPR,” Teri said. “Even if it’s just one CPR class, that’s what saved his life. That’s the reason he’s here.”

Phoenix firefighters say now’s the time to check fences and covers, especially if a crowd of adults could find themselves in a situation where they wouldn’t be adequately monitoring children.

Four children in Maricopa and Pinal counties have died in swimming pools this year.

KTAR News and Fulton Homes want to remind you that two seconds is too long to take your eyes off kids near water. To learn more about this campaign, visit the website.

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