LAS VEGAS (FOX5) -
Metro police are investigating the near drowning of a 1-year-old child in a backyard pool Wednesday afternoon. That child remains in critical condition.
Family friend Pauline Bradley recalled the terrifying moments when the child, Charlotte, was discovered in the pool.
"I heard people downstairs screaming and hollering that the baby had (fallen) in the pool. They got the baby out (and) asked me to rush the baby to the hospital," Bradley said.
Police said the family was preparing to take the little girl to an emergency room, but then thought better and called 911.
"And my nephew thought well maybe it's better we call an ambulance because they have more equipment to deal with," Bradley said.
Bradley said Charlotte is breathing but remains in critical condition.
Meanwhile, detectives with Metro's Abuse and Neglect division came to the house to investigate.
"We're interviewing anybody that might be a potential witness, looking at the circumstances around the drowning," Metro's Sgt. Eric Kerns said.
Bradley said Charlotte was somehow able to open a sliding glass door to get to the backyard and the pool.
Neighbors said they are shocked there wasn't a barrier between the pool and the home.
"It's tragic, this was not a good situation. We all know that you're supposed to have gates and everything around the pool when you have babies, and from what I understand I don't really see any," neighbor Gary Oaks said.
Bradley hopes others learn a lesson from this incident.
"People with pools (who) have little kids around them need to put a gate up because this could happen to them," Bradley said.
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