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Off-Duty Officer Performs CPR On Boy Pulled From Water In Hampton Twp.

HAMPTON TOWNSHIP (KDKA) -- Police are investigating a near drowning in Hampton Township.

The incident happened just after 9 p.m. Thursday at the Wildwood Highlands Family Fun Center, a miniature golf course and family entertainment center in the 2300-block of Wildwood Road.

Police say a 2-year-old was removed from a pond.

It's unclear where on the property the incident happened.

Off-duty Pittsburgh Police Officer Corey Harcha performed CPR on the boy at the scene.

"He was not moving," said Harcha. "He was unconscious and his face and his lips were both blue. At first I started with chest compressions and after about a minute of that I gave two breaths mouth to mouth and then continued with chest compressions until he started to cough."

Harcha said he was "relieved" when he noticed the boy started breathing again.

"As I pulled into the parking lot and got out of my car, I heard a lady screaming from across the parking lot. I went over to investigate," said Harcha. "She came running over to me with a lifeless toddler in her hands. I asked her what had happened and she stated that he had fallen in the water and he's not breathing. So I asked her to place him on the ground, I identified myself as an off-duty police officer; I gave my phone to a friend to call 911. I started to perform CPR on the little boy. After a couple of minutes of performing CPR, he started to come back to... he started to cough, then once he started to breathe, I waited for responding units and medics and let them take over."

The toddler was taken to Children's Hospital.

Harcha is a six-year veteran of the Pittsburgh Police who works in Zone 3.

"I was just doing what I was trained to do," Harcha said. "I am glad that the (2-year-old) boy is recovering."

Police say the boy is still in the hospital in critical condition.

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