11-year-old boy hospitalized after near-drowning at Antioch Water Park

ANTIOCH, Calif. (KGO) -- A fun pool party nearly turned tragic after an 11-year-old boy was found unresponsive at the bottom of one of the pools at the Antioch Water Park.

The student was among dozens of others from three elementary schools enjoying an end of the year party.

"At approximately 11:15 this morning, a student was discovered in the water," said Nancy Kaiser, Director of the Antioch Parks and Recreation Department. "Our lifeguards, first responders immediately pulled him from the pool, provided emergency first aid along with the Contra Costa Fire Protection District."

The student was with other kids in what's called the "sports" pool at the water park, which is just 4 feet deep.

The boy was awake and breathing on his own when paramedics loaded him onto a gurney and brought him to a waiting helicopter.

The student was airlifted to an area hospital, where Antioch police say he is "alert and awake" and being held only for observation.

Antioch Unified confirmed he attends London Elementary, where Tuesday afternoon, parents were just learning about what had happened at the water park

"Especially with the teacher to kid ratio when it comes to these kind of field trips," said parent Luna Miller-Parker, who has a young son at London, "any kind of water, my son is not going to go through any of these kind of field trips without me."