Boy, 8, Nearly Drowns In Pool At Tenafly, N.J. JCC

TENAFLY, N.J. (CBSNewYork) - An 8-year-old boy nearly drowned Thursday in a public pool at a Jewish Community Center in Tenafly, New Jersey.

As CBS2's Valerie Castro reported, police remained at the Kaplen JCC on the Palisades at 5 p.m., while the boy was treated at an area hospital.

The website for the JCC was down late Thursday, but its Facebook page said its pools were closed for the rest of the day following the incident.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with the family as we all hope for a full recovery," the JCC said in a statement.

Police said a 911 call came in around 3:45 p.m. Thursday, indicating that a boy was pulled from the water in cardiac arrest.

When first responders arrived on the scene, a lifeguard was already performing CPR, officials said. EMS crews then took over.

An ambulance was seen leaving the facility late Thursday afternoon, but it was not clear if it was related to the near drowning.

Tenafly Mayor Peter Rustin lives across the street and has been a member of the JCC for several years.

"I have no idea how that could come about to be honest with you. I know they're very – there's a tremendous amount of supervision over there," Rustin said. "Kids are in the water, you have to be very, very careful. The younger ones that don't swim, you have to watch, and the ones that can swim, you have to watch because they lose their fear. But the JCC is a tremendous asset to our community."

The boy was first transported to Englewood Hospital and Medical Center in Englewood, and was then transferred to the intensive care unit at Hackensack University Medical Center in Hackensack.

His condition was not known late Thursday.

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