‘He was lifeless’: Young boy found in Neuse River saved by CPR

RALEIGH — Beachgoers at Neuse River pulled a boy from the water on Wednesday afternoon. After four minutes of CPR, the young boy regained consciousness, ABC11 reports.

Latia Brown, the woman who performed CPR on the boy, told ABC11 her nephew noticed the boy floating in the river and mistook him for a turtle. Other witnesses realized it was a person and rushed to help.

“I looked at my sister and said, ‘Is this a joke?’” Brown recalled. “I just ran over there and did CPR.”

Brown performed CPR for four minutes before the boy showed signs of life, according to ABC11.

Raleigh Fire Battalion Chief Patrick Marks told ABC11 it took 10 minutes from the first 911 call for rescue crews to arrive. He believes it’s because the beach is commonly confused with a road of the same name.

“It might have been hard for the rescue people to figure out where this place was at. It’s kinda like the wild wild west down here,” another witness said.

The boy’s condition has not been made available yet.

Mecklenburg County shared water safety tips to stay safe, especially as the weather warms up this summer.

1. Learn to swim
2. Always keep pools secure by closing gates or doors
3. Keep Your Mouth Closed
4. When in Doubt, Stay Out

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