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Metro Detroit family says resort was negligent, nearly causing 12-year-old boy to drown

Posted at 10:18 PM, Apr 26, 2018
and last updated 2018-04-27 08:57:46-04

A young boy from Commerce Township, on vacation with his family in South Carolina, was trapped in a pool drain underwater for nearly eight minutes.

Mike Morse, the family's attorney, says the boy is doing OK, but the terrifying incident could have been avoided. 

The 12-year-old and his family were staying at a Myrtle Beach resort. It was when a grate was moved out of the way that the boy's foot got sucked down into a 4-inch pipe. That's when he went under water for nearly eight minutes. 

Morse says the grate should have been attached to corrosion-proof screws, but these screws had deteriorated. They were rusted and broken into pieces. 

It was another vacationer who sprung into action giving the boy mouth-to-mouth under water until paramedics arrived, that helped save his lfe. 

The boy has since returned to school, but doctors are monitoring his condition. 

7 Action News reached out to the resort for comment but they have not responded.