Toddler found in family's pool in critical condition

A 2-year-old boy was in the pediatric intensive care unit at a New Hyde Park hospital Saturday after he was found at the bottom of a swimming pool at his uncle's Huntington home on Friday evening, officials said.

Ismail Sheikh was pulled out of the pool at about 7 p.m. Friday by his uncle, Muhammad Asif Ali, Suffolk police said. He remained in critical condition last night at Cohen Children's Medical Center, officials said.

The child - who police said was visiting the home with his mother - had gone into the backyard of the Downey Drive home while other family members were inside. A relative found the boy in the pool.

Sgt. Brendan Forte, 40, of the Second Precinct, was the first officer on the scene and administered CPR to the boy in the backyard until other officers arrived. Forte continued resuscitation efforts as he dashed with the toddler to the patrol car of Officers John Fenelius and Scott Guido.

The sergeant, jammed into the back seat with the boy and the child's mother, Maria Rodriguez, 26, of Dix Hills, kept up CPR until arrival three minutes later at Huntington Hospital.

"We tried to do it as quickly as possible and with safety in mind," the sergeant, who has been on the force for 15 years, said Saturday in an interview. Forte has two sons, 7 and 5, and a daughter, 15 months.

Ismail later was transferred to Cohen Children's Medical Center.

Forte said he never had given CPR to a child that young.

"It's a part of my job, and unfortunately it was necessary to do that," he said.