Volusia Lifeguards Revive 5-Year-Old Boy With CPR After Ocean Rescue

Q: What hidden danger caused a 5-year-old to suffer a head wound and nearly drown despite his family being present at Silver Beach?

The hidden danger was not a rip current. Authorities said the boy went under in what appeared to be calm water and suffered a head injury, likely after being knocked down or struck in the surf, before nearly drowning. That is what made the incident especially deceptive: calm-looking ocean water can still be dangerous, particularly for small children. Volusia County Beach Safety said rip currents were not a factor in this rescue, but changing surf conditions, waves and the sudden loss of footing can overwhelm a child within seconds, even with family nearby. The case underscores a key beach-safety lesson repeated by lifeguards and weather officials: a child can disappear underwater very quickly, and adult presence alone does not guarantee prevention if supervision is not constant and close enough for immediate physical intervention. The positive outcome here appears tied to the family being directly in front of a staffed lifeguard tower, allowing trained responders to begin CPR within moments. Beach officials continue to urge families to keep children within arm’s reach, swim only near staffed towers, and ask lifeguards about current ocean conditions before entering the water.

3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Aug 2

Two Silver Beach lifeguards in Volusia County revived a 5-year-old boy after he was pulled from the ocean unconscious on July 30 and stopped breathing.
Dempsey Manhart and Mackenzie Malone said the child had been brought in by family members amid strong waves and powerful tides; Malone checked for a pulse and the pair immediately started CPR.
The boy soon began breathing on his own again, and Malone said the rescue was the first time in her four summers as a lifeguard that she had saved a child from drowning.
The lifeguards said the incident underscores why swimmers should stay near staffed towers and check ocean conditions, with officials also warning beachgoers not to fight rip currents.