A little boy nearly drowned in an above-ground swimming pool Thursday afternoon in East Boston.
The owner of the home on Trenton Street says it was an accident — that the 6-year-old boy was with his babysitter, visiting the home, when he suddenly stopped breathing while he was swimming in the pool.
The owner says he was wearing flotation devices around his arms.
People started yelling for help. Two adults, including a neighbor who heard the commotion, jumped in to pull the boy out.
CPR was tried before paramedics even arrived.
"I know there are a lot of kids in this neighborhood," said neighbor Marie Alessandra. "I think that's the only house on this block with a pool, so I don't know how often the kids use it. It's summertime. If I had a pool, I'd let the kids use it. That's really sad."
The child was taken to Massachusetts General Hospital.
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Police roped off the house, with an investigation underway. Crime scene investigators arrived at the home to determine if anything suspicious or criminal may have taken place.
"It’s a terrible situation," said Alessandra. "He was unconscious, too."
Police say the child has life-threatening injuries.
