EAST LOS ANGELES : Baby Nearly Drowns After Fall Into Bucket of Water

Two sheriff’s deputies were credited Wednesday with saving the life of an 8-month-old boy, who was in critical condition after falling into a half-filled bucket of water.

The youngster, Eddie Zenteno, was taken to Doctors Hospital, then transferred to the pediatric intensive care ward at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, a nursing supervisor said. Sheriff’s spokesman Pat Hauser said Deputies Helen Pena and Charles Dery went to 1219 S. Amalia Ave. shortly after 9 a.m. after someone called 911 to report that a child had fallen into a bucket of water and was not breathing.

“The boy and several other small children were being cared for by the boy’s two older sisters, ages 12 and 14,” Hauser said.

Upon arriving at the boy’s home, Pena began giving gave the child cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Moments later the boy was placed in a sheriff’s car and Pena continued to administer CPR as Dery drove to the hospital.