The 5-year-old boy who was pulled from the water unresponsive Sunday evening while at a birthday party at a beach on Cape Cod is in critical condition at Boston Children's Hospital, according to State Representative Steve Xiarhos.
Xiarhos identified the boy as Zohaib Malik-Mohammad and said he is continuing to "fight hard to survive" following Sunday's near drowning incident at Snake Pond in Sandwich, Massachusetts.
The state rep said he has been in touch with the boy's family and friends, noting they feel the support from everyone. Xiarhos said the family is "deeply appreciative" of everyone who has worked to save Zohaib's life.
A candlelit vigil was held Wednesday evening at Forestdale School in Sandwich, where Zohaib is a student. Xiarhos encouraged all to attend the event organized by Christine Petricca Ross, saying "there is immense strength in collective prayer and support."
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"STAY STRONG ZOHAIB!," Xiarhos wrote on Facebook.
Sandwich police have said they initially received a 911 call around 7 p.m. Sunday for a missing child at Snake Pond Beach in Forestdale. Within minutes, police were told the boy was found under the water and was not breathing.
Bystanders were performing CPR on the child when Sandwich police and fire crews responded to the scene and took over. He was rushed by ambulance to Falmouth Hospital and later transported to Boston Children's, according to Xiarhos.
A witness told NBC10 Boston on Sunday that the boy was found in waist-deep water, not far from the water's edge.
According to police, the boy was at the beach with one of his parents. Someone else who was at the beach Sunday told NBC10 Boston there were a lot of beachgoers, with about 20-25 children at the birthday party, and that everyone immediately jumped into help.
Police initially said the child was 7 years old but later corrected to say he is 5.
