Children's Safety Zone

A Phoenix general contractor who saved a 2-year-old boy after the child nearly drowned in June was awarded the Phoenix Police Medal of Lifesaving on Thursday.

Phillip Murphy, 53, has more than 35 years of experience with CPR and extensive training from his time with the Air Force and the Boy Scouts of America.

“You never expect the day is going to come when you’re going to use it,” Murphy said.

That day came on June 2.

Jason Fuller, 2, was in the backyard of his grandparents’ home and managed to bypass the pool’s alarm system. He was supposed to start swimming lessons the following day.

Minutes later, his grandmother found Jason at the bottom of the pool. The grandmother jumped in to pull Jason out. She tried CPR, but it didn’t work so she carried Jason across the street to Murphy’s home, desperate for help.

Murphy took action, starting CPR. His son called 911. Murphy continued with the CPR until paramedics arrived.

“It felt to me like it was 30 minutes,” Murphy said. “But it was probably more like two.”

Jason was rushed to a hospital in critical condition.

Jason’s mother, Rachael Fuller, was out of town. She received the phone call about her son.

“Never in my wildest dreams did I ever imagine it would be Jason,” she said. “I was scared. I always said it wouldn’t happen to me.”

She arrived at the hospital 11 hours later. Doctors told Fuller they would know Jason’s condition when he woke up.

“I prayed a lot that he wouldn’t wake up until I got there,” she said. “As I walked in the door he woke up . . . It was a miracle.”

Jason made a full recover, in large part because of Murphy’s efforts. Fuller is thankful Murphy was there.

“I can’t even look at him without crying sometimes,” she said about Murphy.

Rachael and Jason Fuller were there to see Phoenix Police Chief Jack Harris award Murphy the Medal of Lifesaving at his home on Thursday. Representatives of Boy Scouts of America also presented Murphy a leather-bound field book for his efforts.

Since the near-drowning, Jason has taken extensive private swimming lessons throughout the summer. His grandparents also installed a self-locking gate in their backyard.

Murphy said a gate is not always enough.

“We don’t give kids enough credit,” he said. “You’ve got to have your eyes on them and your hands on them.”

Rachael Fuller agreed and said, “If there’s a will, there’s a way, and they will find a way to get to what they want.”

“It’s more gratifying that one could ever imagine,” Murphy said. “(Jason’s) a good buddy of mine. We’re very proud to see him every day.”

The recent flurry of child drownings has left many of us shaken. Since the first of the year, seven children and one teen have already died in water-related incidents in Maricopa County.

“How can this happen so often?” my friends ask me, “why aren’t people getting the message? We need to do something!”

Maricopa County is a high-risk place for drownings, and even higher in a community like Ahwatukee Foothills. We see many sunny days, with weather that welcomes us to the backyard. The chance that you will find a pool in that yard is greater here than in most other states. Also, our demographics contribute – many young parents, with young children. All this adds up to Arizona’s title as second in the nation for child drownings.

Are people “getting the message” about water safety? I think they are, but we need to keep talking about it. If you look at the per-capita rate for child drownings, we see that our child drowning rate in recent years is at some of the lowest levels on record. Every drowning is preventable, so we need to keep working hard.

Here’s what you need to do, today:

When the pool gate is open:

• Have a constant, capable supervisor. Really think about who should have this job before you give them the whistle, hat or “Water Watcher” tag. They should be sober, able to swim, old enough to supervise, able to perform CPR, and you should have more than one if there are many children in the pool.

• Your Water Watcher should know what a drowning looks like. If a child is under water for too long, don’t assume he or she is playing, and don’t be embarrassed to make a rescue.
• Ask your Water Watcher to stay within “touch distance” of children, to make a rescue right away, and should sit where he or she can see the whole pool.

When swim time is over:

• Close the pool gate, and make sure it keeps children out, by checking to see if they can go over, under or through it.

Finally, the whole family needs to talk about a water safety plan. The children should learn to swim at the appropriate age, and the adults need to keep their CPR skills up to date.

Families can have help putting all the pieces together with a quick, custom 20-minute chat. It’s our “Playing it Safe” program, and you can schedule a presentation near you today.

For more information about the program, water safety or to request a Water Watcher tag, call (602) 546-1712 or email tisaacson@phoenixchildrens.com.

Tiffaney Isaacson is the water safety coordinator for Water Watchers at Phoenix Children’s Hospital and vice president of the National Drowning Prevention Alliance. Reach her at (602) 546-1712

PHOENIX – Police say a young boy who went missing Saturday night at a Phoenix apartment complex was found after he had drowned in a swimming pool.

Five-year-old Gecari O’Dell Carroll was taken to a local hospital and pronounced dead, according to Phoenix police Sgt. Steve Martos.

It all started when Gecari was reported missing near Interstate 17 and Bethany Home Road around 6:30 p.m., Martos said.

When police officers arrived at the apartment complex, Gecari’s mother said he had been missing for about 10 minutes and was last seen playing in the swimming pool at the complex.

Gecari was reportedly with three older siblings and other children from the apartment complex.

The victim’s mother told police she and the family searched the pool and surrounding area but couldn’t find Gecari, said Martos.

He said officers searched the cloudy swimming pool again, but couldn’t see anyone in the pool.

Officers then started a wider search of the area and went door to door at the complex and other surrounding complexes, including a search with the Phoenix Police air unit, Martos said.

The Phoenix Police Department’s Dive Team conducted a sweep of the swimming pool and found Gecari submerged at the bottom, Martos said.

Phoenix fire crews responded and took the child to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced dead, he said.

Agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and missing person’s detectives also helped in the case.

AVONDALE, AZ – A 3-year-old girl has been rushed to the hospital after nearly drowning in the hot tub at an Avondale apartment complex.

Crews responded to the complex near 120th Avenue and Van Buren Street around 5:30 p.m.

Avondale fire officials tell ABC15 the girl was playing with another child in the apartment’s hot tub area when she went under the water.

Her father reportedly pulled her from the hot tub and she was conscious and breathing when crews arrived.

Officials say it is unclear at this time how long the 3-year-old was submerged.

The girl was airlifted to Banner Thunderbird Samaritan Medical Center in stable condition, according to Avondale fire officials.

GLENDALE, AZ – A Glendale mother died Sunday after saving her son from a pool last week.

When wife and mother, Bibi Zachriah was pulled out of her pool last week after trying to rescue her son, family members said she had no chance of survival. Unfortunately they were right.

Family said her husband had an extremely difficult time accepting that his wife was not going to come around.

On Sunday, he worked up the courage to take her off of life support and say goodbye.

“He loved her so much. They were the best couple I had ever seen,” said family member Ninan Geevarughese. “They were inseparable, until today.”

Geevarughese said Zachriah died surrounded by those who loved and cared about her.

“Leaving their family at home they came and spent so much time in the hospital, day and night,” he said.

Zachriah had been on life support for a week after she was found unconscious in her pool.

Emergency responders who showed up to the 911 call at Zachriah’s Glendale home said she jumped in to her pool to try and save her son who was struggling to swim. She saved her son, but could not save herself.

Geevarughese said it was love that made Zachriah move her family from India to Arizona. She wanted to give her son a better life.

“She was very smart, sweet and loving, caring. We miss her a lot,” he said.

Dozens and dozens of members from the family’s church are now by their side for support.

“All church members are here to help and comfort the family,” Indian Orthodox Church’s Father Slomo said.