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ShareGirl survives near-drowning at swimming pool
By Fred Davies - Parksville Qualicum Beach News
Published: October 02, 2008 7:00 PM
A young girl nearly drowned at the Ravensong Aquatic Centre in Qualicum Beach Wednesday evening.
“We’ve been advised that [the girl] was flown to Vancouver Children’s Hospital on Wednesday night and is currently in stable condition and undergoing tests,” said Ravensong Aquatic Centre manager Dan Porteous. “We closed the pool for the remainder of the evening.”
He said some pool employees are receiving emotional support in relation to what happened.
BC Ambulance, RCMP and local firefighters all attended the facility at approximately 7 p.m. to assist in the mishap. An emergency official said the girl involved is believed to be seven years old.
Deirdre Janssen, a witness to the mishap, said a woman swimmer grabbed the unconscious child and took her to the side of the pool where lifeguards immediately sprang into action.
“She was blue when she came out. The staff blew a whistle and they were on her like a shot. It was very fast,” said Janssen. “No one knows how long she was underwater. I spoke with [the rescuer] and she didn’t know either.”
Qualicum Beach fire Chief Chris Jancowski said the girl was found underwater and unresponsive.
“She was not breathing but did display a pulse,” said Jancowski.
“I believe she received first medical attention by staff at the pool,” something that Janssen, a former lifeguard, confirmed.
“She was in the recovery position and breathing before the ambulance even got there,” said Janssen, adding once that happened everyone was told the pool was closed and they should go home.
She said the girl was first found near the middle of the pool where the deep end begins.
Another bystander, Darlene MacDonald, said it appeared as though the girl was there for a swimming lesson.
She said her father arrived shortly afterwards and appeared to be in shock.
“The lifeguards were working on her and administering CPR for a good five or six minutes,” MacDonald said.
“At one point they rolled her over so the crowd couldn’t see her face. They lifted her arm above her body and it just flopped back down.”
reporter@pqbnews.com
