KINGSTON, N.H. — A 4-year-old Methuen boy was rescued by his uncle yesterday after slipping underwater at Kingston State Park, where not a single lifeguard was on duty on the July Fourth holiday due to budget constraints.

More than 900 people were at the park yesterday, according to a park manager.

Gabriel Bristol, 4, was at the beach having a cookout with his father, uncle and cousins when he got into trouble in the water, said Nestor Rivera of Manchester, N.H., a family friend.

"The water wasn't that deep," Rivera said. "But he was going under." Rivera speculated the child touched bottom and tried to jump out of the water.

"He was going up and down, up and down, gasping for air," he said. Rivera said Gabriel "swallowed a little bit of water." He asked park officials to call rescue workers after Gabriel was pulled from the water and was still choking.

Rivera said it wasn't fair to not have a lifeguard on duty on July 4, when so many people are in the water.

William Sable, park manager, said 968 people were at the Kingston beach yesterday, but no lifeguard was on duty because of budget constraints.

Sable said Emmanuel Torres of Methuen rescued the boy. Torres is Gabriel's uncle, according to the boy's father, Gabriel Bristol Sr.

Kingston State Park only has one lifeguard and she was not on duty yesterday because she is certified to watch no more than 25 to 30 swimmers, said Sable. If he could, Sable said he'd like to hire at least three more lifeguards.

"But it all goes by the state budget," he said. "We don't have enough money to hire another lifeguard."

Torres went in with all his clothes on after Bristol and others on the beach noticed the 4-year-old was in distress, Rivera said.

Bristol said he was onshore and was watching Gabriel and another young child playing in the water when he saw he was in trouble.

"My son was in the water, and he was trying to breathe," he said. Bristol said the 4-year-old may have drifted out too far from the beach.

Kingston police Chief Donald Briggs said rescue workers were called to the park for a near-drowning because after Torres carried the child out of the water, Gabriel was still choking and having difficulty breathing.

"There was no transport," Briggs said because after they checked Gabriel's condition, rescue workers decided the boy did not need to be taken to an area hospital.

Staff photographer Jan Seeger contributed to this story.