MOHAVE COUNTY, Ariz. — An 8-year-old girl is in extremely critical condition after being pulled from Lake Havasu Saturday afternoon, according to the Mohave County Sheriff's Office.
The sheriff’s office boating safety and dive rescue team and river medical paramedics responded to the lake at 2 p.m. following reports that a child had gone missing in the swimming area of London Bridge Beach, according to authorities.
The 8-year-old girl from California had been swimming with other children. When one of the older children lost sight of the girl they yelled for help.
Family members and beachgoers began to search for the girl.
"A family member located the victim on the lake bottom in the swim area in approximately 4 feet of water," said the sheriff's office.
They pulled the girl from the lake and began CPR.
Crews with the Lake Havasu City Fire Department arrived and began treating the victim.
The girl was transported to Havasu Regional Medical Center in extremely critical condition and later flown to a hospital in Las Vegas for further treatment.
The incident remains under investigation.
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Drowning Prevention Tips:
Drowning is the leading cause of death for children between ages 1-4 aside from birth defects, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Three children die every day as a result of drowning. Here are some tips from the CDC on how to protect children around water:
Learn life-saving skills.
Everyone should know the basics of swimming (floating, moving through the water) and CPR.
Fence it off.
Install a four–sided isolation fence, with self–closing and self–latching gates, around backyard swimming pools. This can help keep children away from the area when they aren’t supposed to be swimming. Pool fences should be completely separate the house and play area from the pool.
Life jackets are a must.
Make sure kids wear life jackets in and around natural bodies of water, such as lakes or the ocean, even if they know how to swim. Life jackets can be used in and around pools for weaker swimmers too.
Keep a close watch
When kids are in or near water (including bathtubs), closely supervise them at all times. Because drowning happens quickly and quietly, adults watching kids in or near water should avoid distracting activities like reading books, talking on the phone, or using alcohol and drugs.