A 3-year-old boy was rescued from a pool at the Opal Hot Springs and Holiday Park in Waikato today after a relative found him floating on the surface of the water.
"Once removed from the pools, the child started breathing on his own again," said pilot Todd Dunham, of the Trustpower TECT Rescue Helicopter, which was sent to the hot springs near Matamata at 2pm.
Mr Dunham said the boy "was crying, he was very stressed out".
"He was pretty upset, but considering what had happened to him he was pretty good."
"He wasn't in a very good condition when he was taken out of the pool but I don't think he needed CPR; he started breathing on his own. He's a very, very lucky boy."
St John paramedics checked the boy before he was flown to Waikato Hospital for further treatment.
Brian Anderson, the manager of Opal Hot Springs and Holiday Park, said the family were day visitors at the facility.
He was with his auntie and it was she who found him floating in the water.
"They pulled him out of the water and must have put him in the recovery position and he started breathing on his own," said Mr Dunham.
