Child Trapped in School Pool Sparks Unusual Rescue in Beacon

A scary situation unfolded this week at a Dutchess County school when a child got their finger stuck in a part of the school's swimming pool, prompting a coordinated rescue effort from numerous first responders.

Child's Finger Stuck in Pool Jet at High School in Beacon, NY

According to the City of Beacon Fire Department, it all started at approximately 4:08 p.m. on Tuesday, April 28th, 2026, at the school located at 101 Matteawan Road in Beacon, NY.

When crews arrived, they found a 10-year-old girl with her finger stuck inside a small opening, about a half-inch wide, within the structure of the Olympic-size pool.

Technical Rescue Operation Needed

As first responders surveyed the unique circumstances, firefighters launched an extended technical rescue operation to try to safely free the child’s finger without causing further injury.

The rescue attempt included partially draining the pool and using specialized equipment to carefully cut away part of the pool structure (below). Thankfully, after a coordinated operation, crews were able to successfully free the child’s finger.

Child Taken to Hospital

Officials didn't say how the child, who was not identified, got her finger stuck in the pool equipment, but did say she suffered minor injuries and was taken to a local hospital for evaluation and treatment.

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Multiple agencies from Dutchess County assisted in the rescue operation, including the Beacon Volunteer Ambulance and the City of Beacon Police Department. The Arlington Fire District was initially called in for additional help with specialized cutting equipment, but the call was canceled while en route.

Beacon Fire officials are crediting the teamwork between all responding agencies for helping bring what they called an unusual situation to a safe ending.