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This past May 25th at about 5:11 PM, the Avondale Police Department’s communications bureau received a 911 call from the Renaissance Villas condominiums in Litchfield Park, regarding a five-year-old child that was in a swimming pool and found to be unresponsive and not breathing. As fire and police personnel were dispatched, an adult had pulled the child out from the pool and started chest compressions on the child.

Within three minutes from the 911 call, Avondale Police to include Litchfield Park patrol officers and Goodyear Fire Department arrived on scene. Litchfield Park patrol officer Robert Simington, a 1 year-veteran of the police department ran towards the pool, jumped a pool fence and took over chest compressions of the child who was still lifeless. Officer Simington continued performing chest compressions until Goodyear Fire personnel took over life saving measures.

The child was then transported by ground ambulance to a pediatric hospital in Phoenix in critical condition with life threatening injuries. The child’s future looked bleak as he was not breathing on his own. Officers processed the scene and by all accounts, the drowning appeared to be a tragic accident.

The child remained hospitalized in critical condition, however after just five days in the hospital the child’s condition had been upgraded to stable condition and on the following day, he had been released from the hospital. Miraculously, the child made a full recovery from this tragic incident which all too often ends with families grieving instead of celebrating.

Medical personnel attributed the child surviving the drowning based on the quick actions of the chest compressions performed by Officer Simington. As a result of his actions on that day, Officer Simington was presented with an award by Goodyear Fire and Phoenix Children’s Hospital. In addition, Officer Simington will also be receiving the Avondale Police Department’s Life Saving Award set to be presented at a future Avondale City Council meeting.