A North Platte man will spend the next three to five years in prison for his role in the near-drowning of a young North Platte boy.

According to prosecutors, Trevor Perry took his three-year-old stepson, Landon Schroeder, fishing last May.

At some point, investigators say Perry became inattentive for an extended period of time and lost Landon.  He eventually  found Landon under water and unconscious about 15 feet from the shore.

Perry removed Landon from the water, and, instead of calling for help or taking him to the hospital, he drove Landon to his residence.

Landon’s mother immediately recognized that Landon was in great distress, and took him to Great Plains Regional Medical Center.  He was then transported to a Denver hospital via helicopter.

Landon eventually made a full recovery.  Perry was charged with felony child abuse.

At his sentencing, Monday, Perry addressed Landon’s family saying, “I always love Landon as my own child.  To me, he was my son and I was his dad.”

“I thank God that he gave him (Landon) the strength to make a recovery,” Perry added.

County Attorney, Rebecca Harling, asked Judge Richard Birch to give Perry the maximum sentence under the law.

“We are lucky this wasn’t a case of child abuse resulting in death,” Harling said.

Prior to sentencing, Judge Birch noted Perry’s minimal criminal record and the fact that he had saved the State the time and expense of a trial by entering a plea agreement.

Birch said that this was an accident, but, in any case, it is absolutely unacceptable.

He then sentenced Perry to three to five years in prison.

He was given credit for 349 days already served.