Lansford mayor James Romankow asked people to be patient as details come about a near drowning at the borough pool Wednesday afternoon.

He posted on Facebook at 7 p.m.: 

"In regards to today's incident at the pool. I would like to say great job by the lifeguards in their quick response in getting the individual out of the pool. The assistant manager who quickly took over the control of the situation. The Lansford police for their quick response. The crew of the helicopter told us everyone did a fantastic job.""There will be a statement released in the next couple of days from the police as we look into the matter. Keep in mind the lifeguards that where working are teenagers. And in situation like that you can get panicked.I  ask people to wait before passing judgement on anyone," he wrote in his post.The 8-year-old boy identified only as Alex was swimming underwater in the shallow section of the pool when witnesses say he began to float lifelessly.Randa Kehl, a certified nurses aide, gave the boy CPR and restored breathing.All certified lifeguards are required by law to know how to perform CPR."The lifeguards didn't know what they were doing. If there was no one there who knew CPR, (Alex) would have died," Kehl said.Romankow said in a telephone interview Wednesday night that all the lifeguards at the pool are trained in CPR.According to Kehl, the boy suffered trauma but was breathing steadily when he was taken to Lehigh Valley Hospital.Kaitlin Sturdik, 12, was in the pool when the boy went unconscious.She said the lifeguard told them to pull the boy out."The whole ordeal was very unprofessional. The lifeguards should have pulled him out of the pool, not 12-year-old kids," Pat Ladick said, who took Kaitlin and her friends to the pool that day.The Lansford pool was closed for the rest of the day as police took statements.A call placed to Lansford pool staff went to an answering machine.