Oologah, Okla. (KTUL) — An 11-year-old from Oologah is called a hero after rescuing a girl from drowning in a hot tub.
According to the CDC, no other single cause of death kills more toddlers and young children than drowning. Thanks to Luke Jenkins, he kept a young girl from becoming part of that statistic.
‘Drowning is one of the leading causes of death to children,” said Safe Kids Tulsa coordinator, Beth Washington
“Unfortunately a lot of those drownings do occur in areas where somebody can just stand up,” said Oklahoma Swimming general manager, Bob Stabb.
“I didn’t know if she was going to make it because she had been under there for a while,” said Oologah hero who saved a young girl’s life, Luke Jenkins.
A vacation to Branson Missouri almost turned tragic for one Kansas City family.
That’s until 11-year-old boy, Luke Jenkins of Oolagah, noticed a young girl had been underwater for a couple of minutes in the hot tub at a Quality Inn hotel.
“Yesterday night I was swimming at a pool in Branson, Missouri. I went and got in the hot tub and recognized that she had been under the water for a little while. So, I went and I pulled her up and I recognized her hair was stuck, said Jenkins. So, I pulled her hair out of the thing; hit the emergency stop button, pulled her out, and started doing CPR and then I went and called 911.”
Luke said the child’s mother finished the CPR and the young girl spit up water and when first responders came to check on her she was alert.
By law, that suction area is supposed to have a cover over it.
“In 2007, Congress actually passed the Virginia Graeme Baker drain, pool, and safety act. To make sure that drains on pools were safe,” said Washington.
According to the Federal Register, they require the design of drain covers or suction outlet fitting assemblies in public swimming pools and spas to comply with minimum entrapment protection standards.
This video was taken at the indoor swimming pool at that Quality Inn hotel and as you can see, that drain or suction area is not covered.
“Anytime you go swimming. In a hot tub, swimming pool, or lake, you need to be aware of your surroundings. Where the shut valve is in a hot tub, is the drain covered properly, is somebody watching that individual that’s in the water? Especially a child.”
Luke told me he talked to the little girl and her family told him “thank you” and that she is going to be ok.