A heroic former firefighter saved a two year old Queens boy who nearly drowned in neighbor’s pool, authorities said.
The child and his parents, who were attending a neighbor’s July Fourth barbeque on 65-28 Jay Avenue, were alerted by people screaming after their son fell into the pool, authorities said.
A retired firefighter who was at the barbeque performed CPR while waiting for emergency services to arrive.
“I was here celebrating my mother’s birthday and the 4th of July when I heard screams from around the corner,” said John Manzione, 57, who retired in January after 32 years of service at engine 291.
“He wasn’t breathing and his eyes were rolled back in his head. Right away all the training kicked in and I went on instinct.”
Initial reports stated that the child was in cardiac arrest, however his condition was downgraded to stable after EMTs brought him back to life in the ambulance.
“He wasn’t responding when the ambulance arrived but I was told that he started breathing on his own inside the ambulance, so that’s a relief,” Manzione said of the rescue. “This could have been a real tragedy. Luckily there was a happy ending here today.”
The boy was taken to Elmhurst hospital, where he was listed as awake and alert.