Bystander saves toddler who wasn't breathing after being pulled from water at Manitoba beach
2-year-old boy was playing in water with other children when he didn't resurface: RCMP
A man in the right place at the right time saved a two-year-old's life after the boy was pulled out of the water at Delta Beach, says an RCMP officer who responded to a call about the unresponsive toddler.
The toddler was enjoying a day at the beach on the southern shore of Lake Manitoba with his family last week when he did not resurface.
Portage la Prairie RCMP Cpl. Crystal Perry responded to the dispatch about a possible drowning of a two-year-old child who was not breathing. Delta Beach, about 90 kilometres northwest of Winnipeg, is 25 km north of Portage la Prairie.
What she found when she arrived was a scared and crying — but healthy — boy.
"The crying was a relief," Perry said. "We were just so happy that he was making sounds."
A 29-year-old man visiting the beach with his wife and kids saved the day. He did CPR on the boy after he was pulled out of the water.
"Seconds matter," Perry said.
"If they had waited until we got there to initiate CPR, it would have been a completely different story."
The boy was taken to hospital as a precaution and is expected to make a complete recovery.
This week is National Drowning Prevention Week.
Perry said she gets a few drowning calls every year and she wants everyone to take precautions, especially those with young kids.
"Keep them within arm's reach," she said.
Swimming lessons are important, but parents cannot get complacent.
"The parents also need to be aware of it and how quickly things can change."
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
