Preschooler survives near drowning at Parakai Springs

A toddler is lucky to be alive after a non-fatal drowning yesterday afternoon at Parakai Springs in northwest Auckland.

A preschooler has survived a close brush with death after being rescued from a swimming pool in northwest Auckland.

Emergency services were called to Parakai Springs geothermal pools at 12.32pm yesterday after a small child, believed to be aged 3 or 4, suffered a non-fatal drowning.

Parakai Springs manager Mark Dennis confirmed an incident took place at the hot pools facility.

"An unsupervised child was removed from the outdoor pool and taken to the first aid room by one of our pool staff," he said.

"Emergency services were called and arrived in a very quick time.

"No CPR was required and we are happy to report the child was doing well and was taken to hospital for observation."

A St John spokesman said the child was taken by ambulance to Waitakere Hospital in a moderate condition.

Dennis said the quick actions of the pool staff prevented what could have been a tragic incident.

"It is an important reminder that all children should be within arm's reach of a parent or caregiver when around water."

Water Safety regulations set out on Parakai Springs' website instruct that any child under 8 must be actively supervised by an adult, 16 or older, at all times while in the water or in the complex.

It follows an incident in March last year, when a 4-year-old was saved by two off-duty nurses at Parakai Springs.

The nurses, along with pool lifeguards, performed CPR on the boy after he was pulled from one of the centre's pools and lost consciousness.

Two months earlier, on January 15, a 7-year-old boy was rushed to Starship Hospital after being found unresponsive at the bottom of a pool at the nearby Palm Springs Thermal Pool in Parakai. He died in hospital the following day.