June 24, 2009 08:29 pm
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By Roger McKinney
rmckinney@joplinglobe.com
WYANDOTTE, Okla. — A boy who was swimming with a group of children at a campground was in a Tulsa hospital Wednesday afternoon after being rescued and revived.
Ottawa County Undersheriff Bob Ernst and Miami City Attorney David Anderson said the incident happened around midmorning at the Sycamore Valley Recreation Area, a campground south of Wyandotte on Highway 10.
The boy, age 7 or 8, was with a group of children in a summer recreation program sponsored by the city of Miami. Neither Ernst nor Anderson would provide the child’s name. The men said they did not know how many children were participating Wednesday.
Adults who were supervising the swim pulled the unconscious boy from the water when they noticed him.
Virgil Crowder, an owner of the campground, said an adult camper performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation on the boy before emergency workers arrived.
The boy was flown by helicopter to St. John’s Regional Medical Center in Joplin, Mo., before being flown to Saint Francis Hospital in Tulsa.
Ernst said early Wednesday afternoon that the boy had been revived. There was no word on his condition later Wednesday afternoon.
“I’ve had thousands upon thousands of people swimming here over 36 years, and I’ve never had a drowning,” Crowder said. “I just thank God the boy’s OK.”
Crowder said Miami city employees were supervising the swim.
Anderson, the city attorney, said the incident would be carefully investigated.
“My only concern right now is for the young man and his family,” Anderson said. “I’m prayerfully hoping that the more positive information I’ve heard is correct.”
Ernst said the Grand River Dam Authority has jurisdiction over the incident, but the agency hadn’t provided any information by 5 p.m. Wednesday.
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