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Lifeguard rescues 19-year-old woman from drowning at Kannapolis YMCA

KANNAPOLIS, N.C. — The pool was closed Friday at the YMCA in Kannapolis after a 19-year-old woman nearly drowned Thursday night.

Dispatchers received the call around 6 p.m. about a young woman who was unconscious at the pool.

“Very scary. I was very upset when I heard about (it) because I go there to the pool, but I’m not going today, obviously,” Sandy Williams said.

Channel 9 learned the victim is Alejandra Amaya, and she was pulled out of the water by a lifeguard who performed CPR before she was rushed to Carolinas Healthcare Systems Northeast hospital, where she is in intensive care.

The YMCA has brought in an aquatics expert from Boston to interview witnesses and try to understand what led to the near-drowning.

“I’m glad it wasn’t worse. That’s the first time that that’s happened that I know of. I’ve been coming here six or seven years,” Zee Phillips said.

Channel 9 spoke to the lifeguard who rescued the 19-year-old over the phone, and all she would say is that she was upset.

Police are calling the near-drowning a “tragic accident.”

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