High school water polo player found at bottom of pool is recovering

A high school water polo player who was pulled from the bottom of a pool after suffering a seizure during a match in Chino is stable and recovering, officials said.

Alejandro Camacho, 16, was flown to a hospital in critical condition Thursday night after his teammates from visiting Nogales High School in La Puente noticed him missing as they got out of the pool at Don Lugo High School, said Chino Valley Fire District Battalion Chief Scott Atkinson.

Alejandro was identified by the team on its Twitter account.

His father and other members of the crowd jumped in and pulled him out, Atkinson said.

Paramedics responded and helped airlift Camacho from the school’s playing field to Arrowhead Regional Medical Center in Colton. Players said he was pale and his breathing was shallow.

But within hours, Camacho had begun to recover and was calling his teammates to see how the rest of the game went, according to NBC4.

“The very first thing I hear is, ‘Hey coach, did you guys win?’” head coach Marco Garcia told the station. “I had to tell him we didn’t pull off the win, but that just shows what kind of kid he is -- after everything that happened, he’s still with the team.”

Players told reporters that Camacho has had epileptic seizures before so they knew how to respond. Camacho’s father told media that his son would be released from the hospital Friday.

The team thanked the public on Twitter, saying “Despite everything, we went back out and played the best game of the season. Thanks to everyone for the support! Couldn’t be more proud!”

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