Teen transported to hospital after being found at bottom of Rosemont pool

A 14-year-old student from École Père-Marquette is in critical condition after he was found at the bottom of  an indoor pool Thursday morning in Rosemont–La Petite-Patrie.

Urgences-santé said it received a call around 9:45 a.m. about a minor in cardiac arrest. Paramedics arrived at the scene five minutes later to find the teenager had been pulled out of the water by a lifeguard.

"It was a very sad accident where paramedics had to intervene," said Valérie Tremblay, the director of operations for Urgences-santé.

"We had three vehicles with paramedics sent to the scene."

The boy, who is in Grade 8, was then rushed to hospital from Centre Père-Marquette, a City of Montreal community centre located across from the school, at the intersection of de Drucourt and Fabre streets.

Urgences-santé confirmed he had a pulse at the time he was transported to hospital. A lifeguard was treated for shock by paramedics at the scene.

A spokesperson for the Commission scolaire de Montréal (CSDM) confirmed that the incident occurred during a gym class at the centre while the gym teacher and at least one lifeguard were present. There were about 25 students in the class.

A team of psychologists was sent to the high school to provide support to students and staff late Thursday morning, according to the CSDM.

A City of Montreal spokesperson said the youth's family is at his side at the hospital.

'Rare situation'

François Lépine, the director of the Quebec branch of the Lifesaving Society, said the ratio of instructors to a group of fewer than 30 students was respected in this case, since both a gym teacher and a lifeguard were present.

"It takes a physical educator who is trained by the Education Ministry with a specific training of 90 hours of teaching aquatic activities," he said.

"And if they don't have that training, a national lifeguard needs to be present on deck."

The incident that unfolded at the public pool was a "rare situation," according to Lépine.

"Drowning in public facilities in less than one per cent of all the drownings that occur in Canada and in Quebec," he said.