Conversation That Rescued Girl

Here is a transcript of part of the conversation between Santa Ana police dispatcher Beth Frank and Bruce Iacovino, whose daughter was pulled from the family swimming pool after she had fallen in and stopped breathing.

Bruce Iacovino: Is somebody coming? Hello, is somebody coming? Hello? Hello?

Beth Frank: Listen to me. Calm down. Listen. Listen. Is the baby breathing?

Iacovino: No!

Frank: Get the baby and bring it over to the phone.

Iacovino: (Unintelligible.) She’s not breathing!

Frank: Listen to me. Go get the baby.

Iacovino: Huh?

Frank: Go get the baby. I’m going to tell you how to get it breathing.

Iacovino: Hurry!

Frank: Get the baby.

Iacovino: Oh, God.

Frank: OK, get the baby and bring it over here so I can tell you how to get it breathing again.

Iacovino: OK, I’ve got, my, my son-in-law he’s blowing in her mouth.

Frank: OK, can you feel any breath?

Iacovino: Huh?

Frank: Tip the head back. Tilt the head back.

Iacovino: Tilt the head back!

Frank: Tilt the head back.

Iacovino: Put the head back!

Frank: OK, tilt the head back so that the airway is open. Is the head tilted back?

Iacovino: (Unintelligible.) Some water pumping out of her.

Frank: OK, that’s good. Get that water out of her.

Iacovino: Her mouth is turning blue!

Frank: OK. Is she breathing yet?

Iacovino: No!

Frank: OK, tilt the head back again, you’ve got to get. . . .

Iacovino: Tilt the head back! Keep the head back! Is she breathing yet? (Another voice answers “No!”) Is her heart beating?

Frank: OK, take a pulse, do you have a pulse?

Iacovino: Is there a pulse?

Frank: Sir, you get that baby. Can you feel a pulse?

Iacovino: Can you feel a pulse, Gracie (Iacovino’s wife)? She can’t feel a pulse.

Frank: OK, tilt the head back. Blow into its mouth. But don’t blow real hard. Just blow into its mouth and get some air in its lungs.

Iacovino: Well, that’s what he’s doing.

Frank: OK, is there water coming out of the chest?

Iacovino: Is somebody coming?

Frank: Yes, they’re on the way, but I want to stay on the phone with you so I can help you out.

Iacovino: Her eyes opened!

Frank: Is she breathing?

Iacovino: No.

Frank: OK, look at her pupils. There’s a policeman there. Go outside and get the policeman.

Iacovino: Somebody at the door. Here he comes. Here he comes. . . . Give it to him. Give it to him. . . . She’s clenching her fists. Oh, Jesus.

Frank: Sir?

Iacovino: Yes.

Frank: Is the baby breathing now?

Iacovino: I think so. She’s clenching her fists, and she’s blinking her eyes. The police are here.

Frank: OK, tell the policeman that the paramedics are already on the way.

Iacovino: Oh, she’s crying!

Frank: OK.

Iacovino: Oh! She’s crying!

Frank: OK.

Iacovino: Can you hear it?

Frank: Yeah.

Iacovino: She’s crying.

Frank: Yeah, OK. Thank you. Bye-bye.