A two-year-old is alive after a near drowning at an Upstate swimming pool. And it's thanks in large part to an area fire chief, who was the first to arrive on the scene.
The emergency unfolded at the Hartwell Villas pool Tuesday around 5 p.m. But luckily, that was the same time a hero happened to be nearby and heard the call for help.
Randy Bratcher is the Chief at Anderson City Fire Department as well as Williford Volunteer Fire and Rescue, which serves the Lake Hartwell area.
Bratcher, also a trained EMT, was heading home when he heard the call come across, asking for assistance at a possible drowning at Hartwell Villas. He thought he'd be arriving to a busy emergency scene, but when he pulled up, the parking lot was empty and all he saw was two frightened young women holding their two-year-old cousin, who the chief described as lifeless.