An 86th Airlift Wing airman was still in a hospital Monday, nearly a week after being found unresponsive in the aquatic center pool at Ramstein Air Base in Germany. (Ramstein Aquatic Center/Facebook)
Updated Feb. 27. 2024, 5 p.m. Central European Time
RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany — An airman with the 86th Airlift Wing remains hospitalized in stable condition after being found unresponsive in the base pool last week, Ramstein officials said Monday.
The airman was discovered in the water at the Ramstein Aquatic Center on Wednesday evening, a base spokesman said in a statement.
Emergency personnel were contacted, and the unidentified airman was taken in an ambulance to Saarland University Medical Center. The airman initially was in critical but stable condition.
The airman was “performing underwater training exercises in the lap pool area” when they lost consciousness, Lt. Col. Megan Mooney, the commander of the 86th Force Support Squadron, said in a statement Tuesday.
Lifeguards were able to resuscitate the airman, Mooney said.
Whether the scare will result in any changes to policy or procedures will be determined after an investigation, officials said.
The Ramstein Aquatic Center has a 25-meter fitness pool with lap lanes and a deep area with a diving board. It also has a separate pool area for children with a depth of up to 3 feet and a water slide.
