Actions of bystanders — including kids — saved 3-year-old from drowning in B.C. lake, police say
'If it wasn't for those kids, this would be a different story,' said one of the rescuers
Police are commending the actions of several bystanders — including three young children — who leapt into action to save the life of a three-year-old girl who nearly drowned on Tuesday.
Kimberley RCMP say the girl is now in stable condition after the near-drowning incident at Wasa Lake in the East Kootenay.
Police were called to the scene just after 1 p.m. after the girl was pulled out of the water unresponsive.
The bystanders were able to provide life-saving measures and resuscitate her before she was taken to hospital.
Chris Pearson told CBC News he was on his boat with his friend Jason when their kids came running over to tell them a girl was floating in the water.
"It was super windy and white-cappy on the lake. [Jason] was able to have a better vantage point and was able to see the young girl's sandals floating in the water in between the waves," Pearson said.
"And all of a sudden, instantly, we all dropped everything we had cellphones, glasses, everything we had in our hands."
WATCH | Children describe what they did and saw:
As the pair jumped into action to reach the girl, they saw another man — the girl's father — jump into the water and paddle against the wind to get there, holding his daughter above the waves.
"Eventually, we got out there. We grabbed the baby from him, and Jason and I passed her back and forth until we got back to the beach, which is about 40 feet out from the sand," Pearson said.
"We laid her down on the wet sand, and instantly Jason started doing compressions and mouth-to-mouth, and I think he did that for about five minutes."
Finally, Pearson said the young girl started coughing up water and seaweed before she began crying.
He said the incident was rattling but credited his and Jason's kids — seven-year-old Nixen Sherratt, eight-year-old Cooper Pearson, and 10-year-old Cole Pearson — with noticing the girl and alerting them right away.
"If it wasn't for those kids of ours, that little girl would have been another 50 yards down the lake, and nobody from shore would have been able to help her. No boats were on the water because it was so windy," he said.
"If it wasn't for those kids, this would be a different story."
The kids told CBC News that they had been playing tag on the sand when they saw some other kids crying and heard them say that their sister was drowning.
"So I told my brother and my friend to go get my dad and his dad. And then I told some parents, and then this guy came running in. I think he was the dad," said eight-year-old Cooper.
The kids said the whole incident was scary to watch, but they were very happy to hear the police had said their actions had saved the girl's life.
As for Pearson, he said the event was a reminder that conditions can change in a matter of minutes on the water.
There have been a spate of drownings and near drownings in B.C. in the past few weeks.
Police in the Okanagan said they were searching for two boaters who went missing in separate incidents within a span of 15 minutes Monday night.
Also on Monday, West Vancouver police said an 85-year-old man was presumed dead after he went missing in the water off Dundarave Beach.
The Lifesaving Society of B.C. says so far, in 2023, 23 people have drowned in B.C. and Yukon.
"Drowning is preventable," program manager Kimiko Hirakida told CBC News earlier this week.
"One drowning is too many, and every year, about 450 Canadians go out into the water expecting to come home but unfortunately lose their lives."
Hirakida is cautioning anyone recreating on the water to wear a proper life jacket or personal flotation device and to check water conditions such as temperature, currents, water depth, and clarity. She's also advising people to be aware that lakes can have sudden drop-offs.
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With files from Corey Bullock and Ali Pitargue