Friday, Jun. 26, 2009

Neighbor helps revive 14-month-old found floating in a pool in Belleville

BELLEVILLE -- A Belleville man said he's not a hero, but he helped revive a 14-month-old girl found floating face down in an inflatable pool.

Dave Ludgate, of 103 N. Missouri Ave., was home Friday afternoon when his neighbors rushed their daughter over to his house.

Ludgate performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation on Kylie McCord before emergency personnel arrived.

"I'm just glad he was home," Ludgate's wife, Kristie Ludgate, said. "He wouldn't say he was a hero, but I'm just glad that he knows how to do CPR. We have a 10-year-old son and I know that if anything would ever happen to my child, I know he would be OK."

Witnesses told police that Kylie was swimming in an inflatable pool with her sibling, and was being monitored by her parents, Belleville Police Lt. David Frame said.

"The parents turned and started talking to a neighbor for a few minutes, and when they turned to check on the child, she was apparently face down in the pool," Frame said. "The officer said that when he arrived, the parents were tending to the child and she was coughing up water. She was conscious and breathing when he left."

Kylie remained in fair condition on Friday, according to Bob Davidson, a spokesman for Cardinal Glennon Children's Medical Center in St. Louis.

The McCords, of 101 N. Missouri Ave., could not immediately be reached for comment.