RACCOON STATE RECREATION AREA – A 10-year-old girl is alive today due to the quick actions of family and others after she nearly drowned yesterday at Raccoon State Recreation Area’s swimming beach.Â
At approximately 1:30 p.m., a beach guest was watching his granddaughter play in the water when he noticed she had gone underwater and not resurfaced. After searching for 2 to 3 minutes, he located her and took her to shore. The child had pale blue skin, was unresponsive, not breathing, and did not have a pulse.
Indiana Conservation Officers were nearby, conducting river rescue training on the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) property and arrived within minutes of receiving a call from DNR Law Enforcement Dispatch. They found Ashley Pecchenino, a registered nurse from Iroquois County, Illinois, administering cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on the child.
After two minutes of CPR, the child regained a pulse and began breathing on her own and became responsive. The child was flown by Lifeline helicopter to Riley Children’s Hospital in Indianapolis in stable condition.
Conservation officers remind the public that near-drowning incidents should always be taken seriously, even if the person is alert and conscious after the incident. Healthcare professionals should assess individuals who experience near-drownings due to possible residual effects from water in the lungs.
Indiana Conservation Officers were assisted on the scene by members of the Belmore Fire Department and Parke County Emergency Medical Services.
