‘He’s alive,’ police lieutenant says in update on child suspected to have fallen into pool

SPRINGFIELD — The child police suspect may have fallen into a swimming pool reportedly is in stable condition and in the NICU unit at Dayton Children’s Hospital, a Springfield police lieutenant said in an update Thursday night.

“He’s alive,” Lt. Mike Curtis said when asked whether police had new information on the child, believed to be a 19-month-old boy.

Hours earlier Thursday evening, Springfield police Sgt. J. Eggers told News Center 7′s Brandon Lewis, “Just pray for the best,” when police didn’t know the child’s condition.

Police and firefighter/rescuers were dispatched to an address in the 200 block of North Clairmont Avenue about 4:52 p.m. on a report of a missing child believed to be 2 years old, the sergeant said.

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Officers arrived to find the child, unresponsive, in the front yard of the address.

The child was believed to have been missing at least 15 minutes and was said to be unresponsive, according to Springfield police and fire dispatch.

The child was taken first to Springfield Regional Medical Center, Lt. Mike Curtis said. He was then taken to Dayton by Care Flight.

Sgt. Eggers said he could not comment when asked whether anyone else was in the home at the time of the incident. He said a police division crime scene unit and persons detective unit were called to the address and are continuing the investigation into what happened.

News Center 7 will update this developing report as details become available.

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