The father of a three year old girl who was pulled unconscious from the toddler’s section of the Port Macquarie Olympic Pool says the incident took ‘a matter of ten seconds’.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The father said he and his partner were at the pool for a birthday party.
“We had 13 children at the pool for the party. This happened so quickly, it was in a split second,” he said.
“We had been at the pool for about an hour and we were certainly keeping an eye on everyone. We would have only been about 10 metres away from her.
“But some parents came over to talk to us and in that split second it happened. We were distracted for no more than a matter of ten seconds.”
The father said his daughter was very well aware of the dangers of water and was ‘not a child that even put her head under the water’.
“We are not sure if she slipped or was bumped from the shallow section,” he added.
The man said he and his partner started performing CPR on the three year before lifeguards arrived ‘about 60 seconds later’.
NSW Ambulance confirmed paramedics had responded to the emergency call at around 10.50am.
“A three year old patient was immersed in water for a short period of time. She was treated at the scene and transported to Port Macquarie Base Hospital," a NSW Ambulance spokesperson said.
“The girl was breathing and listed as stable.”
We are very grateful for that swift response from lifeguards and onlookers who provided the initial first aid.
- Acting director Dan Croft
Port Macquarie-Hastings Council acting director Dan Croft praised the swift action of lifeguards on duty in the rescue.
“The three year old girl was pulled unconscious from the toddler’s pool,” he said.
“Lifeguards were on the scene and performed CPR and the girl was revived. “We are very grateful for that swift response from lifeguards.”
Mr Croft was very grateful for the ‘swift and professional support from the lifeguards’.
“They implemented their emergency response plan and the little girl was revived. Through the implementation of that plan, and the lifeguards’ skills set, the girl is doing well,” he added.
Mr Croft confirmed the pool has one lifeguard per 100 swimmers.
He reinforced the need for supervision when visiting the pool.
A Mid North Coast Local Health District spokesperson confirmed the three year old girl had been discharged from Port Macquarie Base Hospital on Sunday.
The father said his daughter was ‘back to her normal, happy self within 30 minutres’
”It took 10 seconds. But everything can change,” he added.