Kids Hospitalized After Near-Drowning

Dallas police say children were well-supervised

Two children on a church field trip were hospitalized Tuesday after they nearly drowned near Samuell-Grand Park, officials say.

According to Dallas Fire-Rescue, emergency responders were called to the Samuell-Grand swimming pool just before 2 p.m. after two boys, ages 6 and 7, went under.

Dallas police initially said they believed the boys were roughhousing but now believe they were playing a game to see who could hold their breath underwater longer.

"The children weren't underwater long," Sgt. Brenda Nichols said. "The lifeguards observed them, and once they observed them, they dove in, they got the children, [and] they got the children up and to the hospital."

Dallas police said 57 children from St. Luke United Methodist Church were using the city pool.

"There were several lifeguards, and apparently the church group had one adult per every 10 children as well, so I'd say the children were well-supervised, but children will be children," Nichols said.

Four lifeguards and a lifeguard supervisor were on duty.

Both children were in stable condition at Children's Medical Center in Dallas on Tuesday night.

Dallas spokesman Frank Librio said the city is reviewing the incident but a preliminary investigation shows that the staff responded appropriately.

The pool, which opened three days ago for the summer, is closed to the public while police investigate the incident. The pool is expected to reopen later this week.

NBC 5's Ellen Goldberg contributed to this report.

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