Less than a day after she was pulled unconscious from Eastglen Pool, where she was playing underwater hockey with her Physical Education class, a high school student was back at school – while school and city officials reviewed the incident.

On Wednesday, after 2:30 p.m., the Physical Education 30 class from Eastglen High School was playing a game of underwater hockey when one student didn’t come up for air.

“It appears that she did pass out from holding her breath too long and then she must have inhaled some water,” Eastglen Principal Darren Fox said.

Fox said the lifeguard saw the student under the water, and two other students and a teacher were also close by.

“She was unconscious when they brought her to the edge of the pool,” Fox said, and then the lifeguard performed CPR.

“She said that she did two or three chest compressions and the girl then spit up the water, and then she was breathing okay and was alert.”

The 17-year-old student was taken to hospital to be checked out. The incident is under review by the City of Edmonton – but a spokesperson said the lifeguard’s training worked in this case.

“Our lifeguards go through extensive training in surveillance and scanning, it’s just part of the job,” Teresa Miller Grayston, Director of Leisure Centres with the City of Edmonton said.

Fox also said before the students enter the pool, they are assessed by the lifeguards.

“[The students] have to demonstrate their swimming abilities and the lifeguard will determine on that day – [if] they are able to go into different areas of the pool,” Fox said.

The incident has also been reviewed by the school, officials said the game was being played in the middle of the pool – between the shallow and deep ends – but from now on, underwater hockey will be played closer to the shallow end.

The principal said he had spoken to the student, who is looking forward to participating in physical education class in the future.

“I said: ‘How are you feeling about going back in? Is it something you are comfortable with, going back to the pool’ and she said ‘Absolutely, I can’t wait to do that.’ [her] mom felt the same way, as well,” Fox said.

The school said the teen slept in Thursday morning, but was feeling well enough to head back to class in the afternoon.

With files from Susan Amerongen