Hastings Aquacourt closing for the season after pool rescue

HASTINGS, Neb. — The Hastings Aquacourt is closing for the season following an incident that left a teenage foreign exchange student in critical condition.

The city made the announcement Friday afternoon. The water park was originally supposed to close on Friday, August 9. The Doggy Paddle event scheduled for Aug. 12 is canceled.

According to city news releases, a 13-year-old girl from Ozu, Japan moved from the shallow end of the pool to the deep end on Wednesday afternoon, went under the water and didn’t resurface. A lifeguard pulled the unconscious teen from the water and began life-saving measures. An ambulance transported her to a local hospital and medical officials planned to fly her to Children’s in Omaha for further care. She was in critical condition Wednesday afternoon. Children’s doesn’t release patient conditions unless authorized by the patient’s legal representative.

A Friday news release said the city is “very proud of how the Aquacourt staff handled this situation.” The city is providing counseling services for staff.