The child was taken to a hospital in extremely critical condition after the central Phoenix rescue.
PHOENIX, AZ — A 3-year-old boy was hospitalized in extremely critical condition Friday after a food deliveryman found him floating face down in a central Phoenix apartment pool and pulled him from the water, fire officials said.
The rescue happened just after 1 p.m. June 19 at an apartment complex on Colter Street, north of Camelback Road, near 11th Avenue. Phoenix fire crews responded after a 911 call from the complex. The case drew attention because the child was found by a bystander who had just returned from work, not by a lifeguard or emergency crew already on scene.
Martin Zaragoza, who lives at the complex and works as a food deliveryman, said he noticed something in the pool as he came through the area Friday afternoon. At first, he said, it looked like it could have been a doll. Then he realized it was a child. “I turned that corner and I saw something floating,” Zaragoza said in a televised interview. “And it looked like what could have been a kid or maybe like a little doll or something.” Zaragoza pulled the boy from the pool and called 911 as others rushed toward the water.
Dispatchers gave CPR instructions by phone while adults at the complex waited for firefighters and paramedics to arrive. Zaragoza said another bystander helped during the frantic moments after the child was taken from the pool. “Everybody came as fast as they could,” he said. Phoenix Fire Capt. Rob McDade said the boy’s father came outside during the emergency and became overwhelmed. The father collapsed before first responders arrived and also was taken to a hospital. Officials said he was in stable condition.
The boy’s name was not released. Officials also had not released how long he may have been in the water or how he got into the pool area. Fire officials described him as being in extremely critical condition after he was pulled from the apartment complex pool. He was taken to a nearby hospital for emergency care. Phoenix police and fire officials were investigating the incident, including the timeline before Zaragoza saw the child and the circumstances that led to the boy being alone in the water.
The complex is in a busy part of central Phoenix, near Camelback Road and 11th Avenue, an area with apartment communities, stores and heavy traffic. In Arizona, pool emergencies are a recurring danger during hot weather, when families spend more time around water. National child safety data show drowning remains one of the leading causes of death for young children. Children’s Safety Network has reported that about 945 children die from drowning each year in the United States, with infants and toddlers making up a large share of those deaths.
No arrests or citations had been announced in the Phoenix case as of Tuesday. Authorities had not said whether the pool had a gate, whether the child lived at the complex or whether any adults were supposed to be watching him at the time he entered the water. Investigators were expected to review witness accounts, emergency call records and the condition of the pool area. Police had not announced any criminal findings, and officials said the investigation remained open.
Zaragoza’s account focused on the speed of the response once he realized what was in the water. He said the child’s condition was hard to process as people gathered near the pool and the dispatcher walked them through the next steps. “Poor little guy,” Zaragoza said. The scene also affected the child’s father, who collapsed as emergency crews were still on the way. Fire officials said both the child and his father were taken from the scene by medical crews, with the child in the more serious condition.
The boy remained the focus of the investigation after the June 19 rescue. Phoenix officials had not released a further medical update by Tuesday, June 23, and the next public step depends on updates from police, fire officials or the child’s family.
Author note: Last updated June 23, 2026.