SPOKANE, Wash. — A three-year-old boy is in critical condition after being pulled from the Spokane River on Sunday evening. Spokane Valley Fire Department said they received the call about the incident in the 19000 block of E. Buckeye Avenue near Barker Bridge just before 6:45 Sunday evening.
When authorities arrived, bystanders were performing CPR on the three-year-old. Witnesses said the child was underwater for under five minutes.
Originally a life flight was called for the child, but authorities cancelled it because they could get the child to the hospital quicker in an ambulance. The ambulance was escorted to the hospital by police.
Spokane Fire says the boy was not wearing a life preserver at the time of the incident. The department stressed the importance of wearing a life preserver even when swimming in a calm area of the river. They said accidents can happen in seconds and life preservers are the best way to keep yourself and those around you safe.
