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The pool is closed for repairs in the aftermath of the incident.
According to Town Supervisor Carl Fulgenzi, rescue workers tried everything, including using soap, to remove his finger from the stainless steel trough that runs around the pool. Eventually, workers had to cut and remove a 4-foot section of the trough and take it with the boy to the hospital to have it removed.
"The little boy was a real trooper. We had his mother sitting in a chair in the pool with him to help keep him calm as the trough was cut away," Fulgenzi said.
The boy, wrapped in blankets to keep him from getting cold, had gotten his finger stuck in one of the jets located along the trough. As his finger swelled, it became impossible to remove it, Fulgenzi said.
Emergency response personnel transported the boy, along with the 4-foot section of trough, to the hospital, where his finger was injected with medication to make the swelling go down. Within minutes, the swelling reduced and his finger slipped out, the supervisor added.
"This could have turned out much differently," he said. "Thank goodness he didn't lose his finger. I have to say that our rescue people (including firefighters and EMTs) were just wonderful."
Fulgenzi was meeting Thursday morning with repair crews to see how long it will take to replace the trough. The pool is closed until repairs can be made.
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