A 3-year-old boy who was transported to Northside Hospital-Forsyth in critical condition Saturday afternoon after a near-drowning in a neighborhood pool in north Forsyth has “busted out” of the intensive care unit and is recovering well, his mother said Tuesday.
The incident occurred in the Riverstone Plantation subdivision’s pool, which is located off Jot Em Down Road in north Forsyth, shortly after 5 p.m. on May 20, according to Forsyth County Fire Division Chief Jason Shivers, a spokesman for the department.
“It was a witnessed drowning, meaning other people were nearby,” Shivers said. “Often times for pediatric or drowning emergencies, we will usually try to fly someone [by medical helicopter] if at all possible, but with the [bad] weather in the county at that point, a helicopter was not an option.
“He was in critical, life-threatening condition.”
According to a Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office incident report, the boy was at the pool with his grandmother.
“[The grandmother] advised everyone she could not locate her grandson,” the report said. “After hearing this, two juveniles spotted her grandson at the bottom of the pool and pulled him out with the help of [another resident].
“There was a lifeguard on duty, but with the large amount of children at the pool, he never saw [the boy] drowning.”
On Tuesday, the boy’s mother, Amy Dykes, a science teacher at North Forsyth High School, told the Forsyth County News her son was doing well and had been transferred to Children’s Hospital of Atlanta (CHOA).
“Our world was absolutely rocked on Saturday when we received the phone call about [his] accident,” she said. “[On Tuesday] he busted out of the pediatric ICU and is now in a regular room. He is off the ventilator and off the oxygen and breathing on his own. He’s had his first meal that we are praying sits well so he can begin to gain some strength and have the IV removed. He will be at CHOA for a minimum of another 24 hours before being released.
“We are extremely blessed to have such an amazing children’s’ hospital so close to home. We are also beyond thankful for the lifeguard at the pool, the nurse who was there, the Forsyth County ambulance crew and the doctors, nurses and support staff at Northside Forsyth. They have all played a part in saving our sweet boy’s life, and for that we are forever grateful.”
She added her son is sitting up and standing on his own and walking with assistance. Doctors, she said, say there are no signs of brain damage or deficits.
The sheriff’s office is not currently planning on charging anyone in connection with the incident, according to Deputy Doug Rainwater, a spokesman for the agency.
A GoFundMe page set up to help the family pay for the child’s medical bills can be found at: gofundme.com/9p442-carters-medical-expenses.
