Near-drowning victim has long road ahead
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Ricky Townsend nearly drowned at a birthday party last month. The four-year-old was found lifeless at the bottom of an apartment complex pool, near Buffalo and Vegas Drive. Video by ktnv.com
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Las Vegas, NV (KTNV) -- Ricky Townsend nearly drowned at a birthday party last month.
The four-year-old was found lifeless at the bottom of an apartment complex pool, near Buffalo and Vegas Drive.
Paramedics estimate that he stopped breathing for at least 25 minutes, before being revived.
Ricky was rushed to Summerlin Hospital, where he stayed in intensive care for a month.
Doctors say he suffered severe brain damage, and may never talk or move again. Ricky is now at CareMeridian Rehabilitation Center. He requires 24-hour care.
Ricky's family is devastated. They want what happened to serve as a wake up call, so no other innocent child has to pay the price of a preventable accident.
"You need to take the proper precautions to have safety devices, whether that be a life vest or floaties," says Ricky's aunt, Ralna Wright. "You can not take your eyes off of a child in water, for one second."
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