Update - Boy Pulled from Apartment Pool Meets Rescue Team

Update - July 25, 2018

Officer Goodling and the young boy saved from drowning are both all smiles now.Since this incident, the young boy who is named Gedion, has made an incredible recovery. After two weeks he was released from the hospital and is home with his family. On the morning of July 25, Gedion was reunited with those who helped save his life. At first, Gedion appeared shy, but soon gave a big hug to the construction worker, Aaron, who provided lifesaving medical care until officers arrived.

Officer Goodling, who has been an officer with the Eagan Police Department for just over a year, recalled the event, “just knowing it’s a 5 year old in a pool, all you can think is I just want to get there. When I saw him it looked like he was gone.” Officer Goodling described his feelings of seeing Gideon for the first time since the incident as “blown away” . He remarked that Gedion looked “un-phased” and “you would never know he even went through that.”

After multiple photos and high fives, Gedion said goodbye to his rescuers and went back to his normal routine of playing with his younger sister on the patio. Officer Goodling remarked, “There aren’t always happy endings like this, but it’s always nice to be here when it happens.”

Original Information- May 22, 2018

On May 22, 2018, at 10:20 AM, Eagan Police and Fire responded to the Foxridge Estates Apartments in Eagan regarding a possible drowning involving a five year old boy. Upon arrival, they found a construction worker performing Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) on the boy near an outdoor swimming pool. Paramedics and Firefighters continued lifesaving efforts where the boy was later transported to Regions Hospital.

The construction workers operating nearby were alerted to the drowning when they heard yelling from the boy’s three year old sister. The two men contacted the police and began CPR on the boy.

Preliminary investigation shows the boy and his sister were at home in a nearby apartment with their mother. At some point the two children unknowingly left the unit. It is believed they walked to the pool which was surrounded by a fence and secured by a locked gate. It is unclear how the boy gained access to the pool, but it is believed he climbed over the fence. Somehow, he entered the water and was found unconscious where he was later removed by the construction worker. We do not know how long he had been in the water and his medical condition is unknown at this time.

Even though this appears to be a tragic event, our investigation into the matter remains ongoing. There is no further information, but if more details unfold, we will pass them along.