Huntington Beach : Woman Revives Child Who Fell Into a Pool

A dental technician who had taken cardiopulmonary resuscitation classes at her office revived a 2 1/2-year-old boy who fell into a pool at an apartment complex Thursday afternoon, a police spokesman said.

Police Lt. Patrick Gildea said Gina Pappapeteau was at the pool baby-sitting two youngsters at the apartment complex in the 8400 block of EL Arroyo Ave. at 12:30 p.m. when she was momentarily distracted.

When the woman looked back at the children, she saw that John Jerroe had fallen to the bottom of the shallow end of the pool. Gildea said she quickly dived in and retrieved him.

However, Pappapeteau did not know what to do with the boy.

Debbie Marshman, 36, who was visiting her boyfriend at the complex, then took the child, laid him on the concrete and gave him mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.

“He was not breathing and he was very purple. He was very distraught, so I went ahead with the CPR,” Marshman said.

The woman said other children and adults were near the pool but no one seemed to know what to do for the child.

“I figured I was the only one who could do it,” she said.

Marshman said she took CPR training at her dentist’s office several months ago. “Believe me, I will take it again,” she said.

Gildea said the boy was taken to Huntington Humana Hospital, where he was listed in stable condition Thursday night.