Two siblings trained at Riversdale Beach Surf Lifesaving Club have one simple message after saving their sister from drowning in the family pool: Learn CPR. Tom Taylor reports.
On the afternoon of the first day back at school for the year, 16-year-old Sophia Phillips – a trained lifeguard – was looking after her younger cousins in the pool of her family home in Oriental Bay, Wellington.
But when her auntie Debra came to check on them, Sophia was floating beneath the surface.
The boys were concerned as Sophia had not come up from under the water for some time.
At this point, the auntie screamed for Sophia’s older sister Brittany, who was also a trained lifeguard.
By the time Brittany got to the pool, Sophia was at the bottom of it.
Brittany wasted no time, jumping into the pool fully clothed.
“I dragged her to the surface, and we pulled her out from the pool,” Brittany said.
“She was very lifeless, very purple, and so I automatically kicked into first aid mode.”
To read the full Wairarapa Times Age article, click here
To view The Project NZ segment on the story, click here
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