Here’s what Metro Parks Tacoma is doing after toddler found, ingested fentanyl at park

A 2-year-old boy is recovering after he ingested fentanyl Thursday afternoon while playing at a Tacoma park, according to police. In response, Metro Parks Tacoma sent out more than double the usual number of crews Friday to clean the park.

Tacoma Police Department said the incident was reported in the 3100 block of South Madison Street, at Oakland Madrona Park.

The parks district was notified shortly after it occurred, and crews thoroughly combed the park Thursday afternoon to ensure it was clean, spokesperson Rosemary Ponnekanti said. Crews were back out at 6:30 a.m. Friday to clean further.

“Metro Parks is really devastated at this whole incident,” Ponnekanti said. “It’s very distressing, and it must have been very distressing for the parents.”

The incident was reported just before 1 p.m. when the boy’s mother noticed he became lethargic and wasn’t acting himself, police spokesperson Shelbie Boyd said. The mother began driving the boy to a local hospital and called 911. Boyd said Officer Masyih Ford heard the call over the radio and met the parent at South 15th Street and Court D.

Ford began CPR on the child until Tacoma Fire Department arrived and administered Narcan, the brand name of naloxone, an emergency overdose treatment. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, fentanyl can be deadly at even low doses.

“The mom had the wits about her to collect what he had, handed it over to the officer, and the officer immediately identified it as fentanyl or fentanyl-laced,” Boyd said. “I truly believe that he saved this kid’s life.”

The child was brought to Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital. Boyd said the last update she had on the boy was that he was in stable condition.

Ponnekanti said searching for items such as discarded needles or drug paraphernalia is part of park crews’ cleaning work each morning.

“That happens every single day, but of course things happen during the day,” Ponnekanti said.

Ponnekanti said crews regularly come across drug paraphernalia dropped in parks. She said she thinks park crews are very aware that this happens, and that they take their work seriously.

“We’ll definitely throw everybody’s best efforts at keeping our parks as clean as we can going forward,” she said.