Somerset —
The near drowning of a small child — reportedly for the second time in a year — has prompted an investigation into the incident by local authorities.
Pulaski County Sheriff Todd Wood said his department responded to a report of a possible drowning at a residence on Pond School Road outside the Eubank community just after noon on Sunday. When deputies arrived at the residence, they discovered that members of the Eubank Volunteer Fire Department were already performing CPR on the two-year-old girl.
“A family friend had also worked and performed CPR on her,” Wood said on Monday.
Wood declined to identify the girl, stating it isn’t his department’s policy to release the identity of young children involved in incidents investigated by the sheriff’s department.
Wood said the young girl had been swimming in her neighbor’s pool when she went into the home to change clothes and dry off. It was after that, according to reports taken from the girl’s father, Chad Stephens, and the owner of the home where the pool was located, that she somehow slipped back outside.
“No one inside the residence knew she’d gone out,” Wood said.
He emphasized that details about the incident are still being gathered as deputies work to investigate the case. He did say, however, that reports that the young girl was under the watch of a seven-year-old while the adults went out conflicted with his department’s report of the incident.
“They were all changing and drying off,” Wood said. “Within minutes, there was obviously the realization that the child was not around.”
A seven-year-old child was the first to come upon the young girl in the pool, according to Wood.
“All the stated individuals were at the residence,” he said.
Wood confirmed that Sunday’s incident was the second time in around a year that the young girl had nearly drowned.
“The same child had fallen into the same pool,” Wood said.
It’s that fact — that the young girl has twice nearly drowned in a pool — that has led to an investigation into the incident.
“We understand that we’re all human and sometimes mistakes happen,” Wood said. “But we’re very, very concerned that this happened twice in one year.”
The young girl was flown from the scene of the incident by helicopter to the University of Kentucky for treatment.
Wood said the investigation is continuing.
“Let’s let all the facts be gathered ... we’ll let the correct people decide what needs to be done,” Wood said.
No charges have been filed in the incident.
Local News
Child's near drowning prompts probe
- Local News
-
- Trial delayed for parents charged with trafficking daughters
-
Wolf Creek Dam renovation on target for Summer 2014 completion date
-
Burnisde may soon move to fourth-class status
-
McGaha didn’t approve farewell letter
-
Refinery to re-open in early summer
- Downtown road work running ahead of schedule
-
Board upholds principal’s demotion
-
Fast-moving blaze guts mobile home off Slate Branch Road
-
Big Bang Theory
Pulaski County is not at war. The booming you may hear at dusk is mock cannon fire to scare away birds.
Stuart Spillman, environmental director for the Lake Cumberland Health Department, said at least three cannons are on loan from the department to residents who want to scare away swarms of starlings and blackbirds settling in to roost.
He said a cannon is being used by a resident on Laura Lane off Ky. 39; another is in the Oak Hill Road area and a third is on Ashurst Street in the eastern part of Somerset.
Spillman said a timer on each cannon allows it to “fire” at whatever frequency is desired. The cannons must be used as the birds circle before going to roost. “After they settle in, nothing will chase them out,” Spillman said.
The Health Department doesn’t operate the cannons unless there is a specific complaint in an area where there are lots of birds, Spillman noted. He said so far this year the birds are not as bad as in the past. -
Boil water advisory is lifted countywide
The water controversy that Pulaski County has been boiling over — so to speak — for the last week is finally over.
At 10 minutes after noon Wednesday, the “boil water” advisory for the Western Pulaski Water District was lifted — almost a full week after the problems began around 1 p.m. last Thursday.
Prior to that, the Somerset Water Service — along with the other water providers in its system, including Science Hill Water, Southeastern Water, and Eubank Water — lifted their advisories, with Somerset on Saturday afternoon and the last, Southeastern, by Monday morning. Western Pulaski was the last in the system to complete sample testing for potential contaminants, due to not being able to access its Pikeville-based testing lab until Monday.
Somerset Mayor Eddie Girdler thanked the public for its patience and understanding during the duration of the boil water advisory — put in place to keep citizens from drinking water that could have been contaminated after an accident last Thursday at the water plant site — and also thanked all the city employees for their hard work during this time.
“The boil water advisory went about as well as would be expected,” said Girdler.
- More Local News Headlines
Worker Tells 911: Powell 'exploded the House'
Triple Win: Santorum Takes Minn., Mo., Colo.
Injured Marine Inspired by Homecoming
No Rape Charges Against Son of NYPD Commissioner
Romney Congratulates Santorum, Focuses on Obama
Paul Says Results Help Him Rack Up Delegates
Egypt's Ruling Generals Play Risky Game With US
Former Komen Exec Defends Funding Cut
Skip the Coffee Cup and Inhale Your Caffeine Fix
Calif. Gay Marriage Ban Ruled Unconstitutional
Jury Selection for Ex-UVa Athlete Enters 2nd Day
Raw Video: Giants Celebrate Another Super Bowl
Cab Driver Helps Wis. Family Escape House Fire
Greek Leaders Seek Deal As Bankruptcy Looms
Bernanke: Recovery Depends on Consumer Spending
Staff Removed at LA School During Abuse Probe
Eastwood in Super Bowl Ad 'Compassionate'
Stranded Fishermen Rescued From Bay of Green Bay
Analyst: Outside Troops Won't Intervene in Syria
Police: Father Planned Deadly Fire for Some Time
