Sister’s Action Helps Van Nuys Tot Survive Swimming Pool Accident
A 2-year-old boy trapped upside-down in a swimming pool by a flotation device was saved Saturday by the quick thinking of his older sister and her playmate.
The youngster was outside the pool and wearing a flotation device around his waist when his mother briefly left to answer the telephone, said Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman Brian Humphrey.
The child either fell or jumped into the water and wound up upside down, with the flotation ring keeping his head underwater, Humphrey said. The two girls, ages 7 and 8, saw the toddler, jumped in and turned him upright within about 60 seconds.
Paramedics were called to the house at 6500 N. Sunnyslope Ave. about 2:30 p.m. and transported the toddler to Valley Presbyterian Hospital.
“He is in good condition, thanks to the efforts of his sister and her friend,” Humphrey said.
Humphrey said flotation rings are not suitable as a safety device.
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