Lifeguard saves father and 2-year-old son from drowning at New Milford’s Lynn Deming Park

NEW MILFORD, CT (WFSB) - A father and his 2-year-old son almost drowned yesterday at Lynn Deming Park.

Luckily a lifeguard saw them struggling in the water, minutes before the guards went home for the day.

Aiden’s summer job is to guard the waters, but this weekend his skills were tested when he helped save two lives.

“His baby was on his shoulders. So it was his head poking out of the water and his baby right on his shoulders,” said lifeguard Aiden Mulligan-Brown

A dad and son were enjoying the lake, but they didn’t know how to swim.

Luckily Aiden was watching.

“I saw their head bobbing above the water and once I saw his head drop a little that’s when I knew to go,” said Aiden.

At one point the baby was separated and floating to the side.

Aiden rushed in, placed a flotation device under them and got them to shore.

“It’s scary it’s scary knowing that if it happened a couple of minutes later when we went off duty it could have been much worse,” Aiden said.

A tragedy was avoided, but so far this year two people have drowned at Candlewood Lake.

“We have life jackets that we lend out to people so if you know you can’t swim just come up and ask for a life jacket,” Aiden said.

These waters are deceiving. Some parts are about 10 feet deep. Officials urge you to be careful.

“These are some dangerous waters. Especially when they draw down from the hydro plant. There could be some under currents. So it’s really important you stay within the buoys especially at the park,” said New Milford Mayor Pete Bass.

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