Four Year-Old Drowns at Austin Pool

Scott Kappes

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With summer in full swing and the Texas heat getting near triple digits the pool has become one of the most popular places to escape the sweltering summer heat. Unfortunately with a refreshing dip in the pool also come risks, especially for children and weak swimmers. Over the weekend a 4-year-old boy, Colin Holst, drowned at a south Austin fitness center pool. His lifeless body was pulled from the water by lifeguards on duty. They quickly called 911 and preformed CPR until paramedics arrived.

Warren Hassinger with Travis County EMS said paramedics continued CPR on the way to the hospital, and the boy was revived. Medical teams at Dell Children's Hospital used "rapid cooling therapy" to put Holst into a coma in hopes of helping him recover, but the boy died the next day.

The pool was fully staffed with seven lifeguards and a spokesperson for the Lifetime Fitness said the lifeguards followed appropriate procedure to save the boy’s life but were unfortunately unsuccessful. A child can drown in a matter of seconds. It is important to always keep a watchful eye on children when swimming. Hundreds of children drown each year in swimming pools, with a little more caution and attentiveness this could be drastically reduced.