Video shows Baltimore Police using helicopter, CPR to rescue man from drowning in pool
The dramatic rescue occurred on Saturday, July 25, at approximately 8:41 p.m., when officers in the department's Foxtrot helicopter responded to a water rescue call near Walter P. Carter Elementary School. The victim and his friends had been swimming in the closed pool after hours.
"All the officers in this area were at a fight, and we heard the call for a water rescue," said pilot Craig Hoover. "We looked at each other and said, 'Water rescue? Up here? Where would that be?'"
Hoover quickly landed the helicopter in a nearby grassy field while Tactical Flight Officer Andre Smith, a former lifeguard and East Baltimore native, rushed to the man's aid.
"When I got down there, I could see he was in bad shape," Smith said. "I asked Craig if he could get me down. I said, if you can get me down, take me down now."
Surveillance footage from both the helicopter and the school shows Smith performing chest compressions on the man, later identified as Sean, while bystanders helped open the gate.
"I think they were trying to call his mom," Smith recalled. "I just kept calling his name, telling him to come back. After about a minute of chest compressions, he came back and was responsive."
Smith said the incident underscores the importance of safety around water and CPR training.
"Don't go into closed pools, especially if you don't know how to swim," Smith said. "And take a CPR class — his friends all told me they didn't know what to do, and if I hadn't landed, their friend wouldn't have made it."
The victim was transported to the hospital and is expected to recover.
Smith, who once worked as a lifeguard for Baltimore's Parks and Recreation Department, said he was grateful to be in the right place at the right time.
"As an East Baltimore native, it's humbling to be able to help," he said. "I'm just glad he's alive."
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