Baltimore emergency responders rescued a 25-year-old man after calls came in about a possible drowning at a neighborhood pool in Wilson Park after it had closed.
A Baltimore Police Department helicopter patrolling the area responded to the water rescue at the Walter P. Carter Pool late Saturday evening, police spokesperson Vernon Davis said. People were trying to remove the man from the pool, prompting flight officers to land in the rear of Walter P. Carter Elementary School and rush to administer CPR, police said.
The rescue happened around 8:40 p.m., more than an hour after the neighborhood pool had closed.
Mayor Brandon Scott praised the flight officers in an Instagram post, saying it was a “challenging space to land.” He also cautioned people against “late night pool hopping.”
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“A grown 25-year-old man almost died playing in a closed pool,” Scott wrote on Instagram. “Tell your children young and old deep water is not to be played with. Just swim in the pool when it’s open they are free!”
Baltimore City Fire Department crews also responded and took over medical care, according to department spokesperson John Marsh. Firefighters were able to revive the man, and he was transported to a local hospital. He was in serious but stable condition, Marsh said.
All city pools have security fencing and locked entry doors, said Baltimore City Recreation and Parks Department spokesperson Alex Silverman.
“Through community engagement, social media and other measures, we continue to inform residents that city pools are free, and for the community’s safety, to please not enter pools after hours without a lifeguard on duty,” she said.
Park pools are usually open from noon until 7 p.m. on weekdays and until 8 p.m. on weekends. Neighborhood pools close at 6:30 p.m.
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The Walter P. Carter pool was operating on a Code Red schedule on Saturday due to extreme heat, closing 30 minutes later than usual.
Fatal drownings in Maryland
There have been 32 fatal drownings in the state so far this year, according to Maryland Department of Health spokesperson David McCallister. There were 124 drownings last year, 81 in 2023 and 84 in 2022.
Last week, an 18-year-old drowned at Assateague Island on Thursday after swimming outside the lifeguarded zone. Two swimmers were struggling in the water about 150 yards south of the shore, according to the National Park Service. One swimmer was successfully rescued, while the 18-year-old was transported to a hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Also on Thursday, a 40-year-old man was found at the bottom of a pool at a home in Montgomery County. Emergency responders tried to resuscitate the man for more than 35 minutes before he was pronounced dead, according to Montgomery County Fire Rescue spokesperson Daniel Ogren. Foul play is not suspected, police said.
Banner reporters Jasmine Vaughn-Hall and Giacomo Bologna contributed to this report.
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