Girl Remains 'Very Critical," Cause of Pool Struggle Unknown

An 8-year-old New Berlin girl remained in "very critical" condition Thursday morning, as police continue to probe why she ended up floating unconscious in Brookfield's Wirth Park pool.

"I talked to her nurse this morning and she's still in very critical condition," Brookfield Police Capt. Phil Horter said Thursday.

Horter said hospital social workers and the girl's family were working with police and her identity may be released late Thursday.

The girl was with about 70 other youth, ages five to 12, in New Berlin's Summer Playground, which travels to Wirth every Tuesday afternoon to swim. New Berlin Parks and Recreation Director Mark Schroeder could not be reached Thursday.

Horter said he didn't have the exact number of supervisors from New Berlin on Tuesday's field trip. "But my understanding is there is a ratio that they follow and that ratio was being followed," he said.

The city also had extra lifeguards on duty Tuesday afternoon because of the extra crowds expected due to the record heat rising past 100 degrees this week, Horter said.

"It appears that all the proper protocols were followed," he said of the city's lifeguard regulations.

Police were still investigating what may have caused the girl to slip under the water. A lifeguard jumped in after seeing the girl floating about one foot under water in an area of the pool that was about four feet deep.

Asked if the girl was ever revived and breathing after being pulled from the pool about 1:45 p.m. Tuesday, Horter said he did not know. He also could not answer whether she was breathing unassisted as of Thursday morning.

Police planned to redouble efforts to interview witnesses Thursday, trying to trace her movements in the pool.

"We’d like to be able to account for every second of every minute," Horter said.

, with parademics arriving within five minutes. A physician swimming that day alerted staff he was a doctor but was not needed as lifeguards and a North Shore Fire Department emergency medical technician who also was there performed CPR until Brookfield paramedics arrived.

A 12-year-old Brookfield girl who was in the pool when the New Berlin girl was pulled said there was a large crowd around the girl as she was attended to, and personnel held up towels around her for privacy during rescusitation efforts.

The pool reopened as scheduled on Wednesday, the sweltering Fourth of July holiday, and the city offered counseling services to lifeguards who were working during Tuesday's tragic event.