Child strays into retention pond and gets trapped, Charlotte Fire Department says

An adventurous trek into a Charlotte retention pond turned potentially deadly when a child became trapped in the water and disappeared, according to rescuers.

It happened Wednesday in southwest Charlotte’s Hamilton Woods subdivision, and the child is hospitalized with life-threatening injuries, Medic 911 reports.

“Charlotte Fire received the call at 6:24 p.m. for a young child who was in the water behind a neighborhood. Initial information indicated the child had been seen on camera entering the water. Another child who was in the area alerted an adult,” Charlotte Fire said in a June 17 social media post.

“Engine 37 arrived on scene at 6:29 p.m. and firefighters immediately entered the water to begin searching for the child. ... An eyewitness reported seeing the child go into the pond and attempt to make it back to shore but was unable to do so.”

Additional searchers and divers were called to the scene, resulting in the child being found and “removed from the water at 6:59 p.m.,” officials said.

“Charlotte Fire personnel immediately began medical care and remained with the patient during transport, riding in the ambulance to continue care on the way to a local hospital,” officials said.

Details of the child’s condition have not been released.

The pond is in the 12100 block of Lady Bell Drive, maps show.