Firefighter saves 2-year-old from drowning in Otter Tail County

August 01, 2022 at 12:18 PM

PELICAN RAPIDS, Minn. 鈥� A firefighter from South Dakota helped save the life of a 2-year-old found face-down in the water on Sunday, July 31.

Shortly before 11 a.m., a family member realized the child was not inside a residence on Sand Lake, north of Pelican Rapids. Several families had gathered over the weekend to spend time at the lake, according to a press release from Otter Tail County Sheriff's Office.

After family realized the child was missing, a search ensued and the child's father found the boy face-down in the water near the shore, the release said.

"Fortunately, a member of the visiting family is a 42-year-old firefighter in South Dakota who immediately began CPR/life saving efforts to the young child while his 16-year-old daughter called 911," the release said. "The firefighter's training and experience proved essential in the life saving efforts."

The firefighter performed life-saving care for about one minute before the child began to breathe again, prior to the arrival of local first responders.

The child was transported to a nearby hospital and is in stable condition, the Otter Tail County Sheriff's Office said.

The Otter Tail County Sheriff's Office, Ringdahl Ambulance and the Pelican Rapids Police Department responded to the scene.

Our newsroom occasionally reports stories under a byline of "staff." Often, the "staff" byline is used when rewriting basic news briefs that originate from official sources, such as a city press release about a road closure, and which require little or no reporting. At times, this byline is used when a news story includes numerous authors or when the story is formed by aggregating previously reported news from various sources. If outside sources are used, it is noted within the story.