10-year-old saves sister from drowning in Gilbert

A 10-year-old pulled her 2-year-old sister out of the bottom of a pool Friday evening during a family gathering in Gilbert, officials say.

The Gilbert Fire Department responded just before 7 p.m. to a home in the area of Gilbert and Williams Field roads for a report of a drowning. During a family gathering at the home, a 10-year-old girl found her 2-year-old sister at the bottom of the pool and pulled her out, according to Mark Justus, spokesman for the department.

The 2-year-old was unconscious, not breathing and turned blue, he said.

A member of the family administered CPR to the child and she began breathing as emergency responders arrived at the scene, Justus stated. While emergency responders were there, the child became responsive and her pulse returned, he added.

“By the time they were going to the hospital, she was crying and talking to her family,” said Justus. “We expect a full recovery.”

There have been 101 water-related incidents — including 25 deaths — between January 1 and August 15 in Maricopa and Pinal counties, according to the Children’s Safety Zone, a website that has tracked drownings and near-drownings across Arizona for almost 20 years.

Data shows drownings and near-drownings tend to spike in Arizona during the summer, with children up to 5 years of age making up the largest percentage of near-drownings in Maricopa and Pinal counties, The Arizona Republic reported in May. Adults were two to three times more likely to actually drown when compared to young children, according to The Republic.

Adult supervision, creating barriers between the home and pool and signing children up for swim classes are some ways to keep children safe from drownings and near-drownings, officials told the Republic in May.

Source: 10-year-old saves sister from drowning in Gilbert