Man in serious condition after being pulled from pool at Costa Mesa apartment complex

A man in his late teens was in serious condition Wednesday after being pulled from the bottom of a pool at a Costa Mesa apartment complex the day before, authorities said.

Costa Mesa Fire & Rescue received a report of a possible drowning at about 3:50 p.m. Tuesday at the Park Mesa Villas at 550 Paularino Ave., said Capt. Chris Coates.

Bystanders told paramedics that they saw the man, whom they didn’t know, in the deep end of the pool, holding onto the side, Coates said. Less than five minutes later, he was at the bottom, Coates said.

Other swimmers pulled him out of the water and started CPR. Paramedics took over and were able to “get some signs of life back,” Coates said. The man was taken to Hoag Hospital in Newport Beach.

It isn’t clear whether the man knew how to swim or what caused him to sink to the bottom of the pool.

Coates said the incident provides a reminder for people to be aware of their skill level and to never swim alone.

“Never assume that just because you’re 18 or 25 that you can go in the deep end and figure it out on your own,” he said.

There were 12 deaths by drowning countywide in 2017, according to Orange County Fire Authority statistics. Costa Mesa and Newport Beach both had one case and Huntington Beach had three.

Officials say people should always be aware of their surroundings at a pool and know where rescue equipment is.

“People literally drown without a sound,” Coates said. “We could be sitting by the pool and someone could slip under the water and you wouldn’t even hear it.”

hannah.fry@latimes.com

Twitter: @HannahFryTCN