"They immediately saw flashing lights:" 7-year-old near drowning victim quickly pulled from water thanks to light up shoes

A young boy is still fighting for his life after a near-drowning in Racine. It may have been his shoes that helped dive teams get to the boy so quickly.

The 7-year-old boy was on the rocks at Pershing Park when he fell in.

"Just a bunch of rocks and then it's water. It's dangerous," said witness Connor Jurena.

It happened right across the street from the skatepark. Connor Jurena was there at the time.

"I didn't know what was happening until I saw the police boats out and cops on bikes, three ambulances, and two fire trucks."

It took rescue squads just 5 minutes to pull the boy from the water. The boy's light up shoes was able to guide rescue squads underwater.

"When our drivers went into the water, they immediately saw flashing lights they believe to be the shoes of the victim."

The incident was a teaching moment for the parents of Hayden and Cadence. "My mom and dad tell me to stay away from the rocks because you can actually fall in," said Hayden Alesch.

"In this community, we live around a lot of water. Lake Michigan is, of course, one of the Great Lakes. People take the time to teach their children and adults be aware of safety rules," said Battalion Chief Willie Hargrove.