AUGUSTA — Police are waiting to learn the medical condition of the 2-year-old boy who nearly drowned in the Kennebec River on Friday before deciding whether to bring charges against anyone in connection with the incident.
Police are investigating how the toddler got into the river. He was rescued by a man from Dresden.
“At this point we are waiting for the medical status of the child to stabilize one way or the other before any charges are filed,” Maj. Jared Mills of the Augusta Police Department wrote in an email Monday.
Police have not publicly identified the boy, and Mills declined to comment on the identity of the parents or their whereabouts at the time of the incident.
The boy was wearing a diaper and hoodie when witnesses on the west side of the Kennebec River spotted him in the water and began yelling to people on the east side for help. The Dresden man, Sean Scanlon, happened to be along the river Friday and heard the shouts. He went into the water, pulled the boy out and tried to resuscitate him.
“He was blue in the face and his whole body was turning blue, and I knew he wasn’t breathing,” Scanlon said Saturday from the spot where he dove into the water. “I didn’t hesitate and I didn’t think. I was bringing that kid in one way or the other.”
Augusta Fire and Rescue crews arrived shortly afterward and took over lifesaving care, and the child became responsive and was taken to a hospital.
“Police officers and detectives have been investigating the circumstances surrounding this incident in order to determine any crimes that may have been committed,” Mills said in a news release Saturday. “More information will be released in the near future if it is determined that formal charges will be filed.”
On Saturday, Scanlon said there was nobody in the park at the time of the incident except for him and his own son. He said he was told that police went door to door in the area and found the boy’s father asleep on a couch in a nearby residence.
Charles Eichacker can be contacted at 621-5642 or at:
ceichacker@centralmaine.com
Twitter: ceichacker
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