Medical condition of child in Port St. Lucie near-drowning said to be improved

A 5-year-old Port St. Lucie girl who initially was in critical condition after being found at the bottom of a home swimming pool Saturday afternoon is reportedly doing better.

Master Sgt. Frank Sabol of the Port St. Lucie Police Department said he spoke with detectives Sunday morning and was told the girl was in stable condition at The Childrens Hospital at Palms West in Wellington.

Police said the girl was rushed to a local hospital Saturday afternoon after her two older sisters found her at the bottom of their home's swimming pool in the 1500 block of Southeast Saxony Street. The child's mother immediately began CPR until St. Lucie County Fire Rescue personnel arrived.

Sabol said preliminary reports indicated the mother was cooking lunch and told her older daughters, ages 12 and 14, to check on their younger sister. The girls found her in the pool.

The child had only been out of sight for a few minutes, he added.