It’s never a bad time to be reminded of how quickly a fun time can take a tragic turn, especially around water. That’s what one mother in Georgia wants us all to know after her family was nearly visited by tragedy.
Only thanks to quick actions from all involved did a few unfortunate seconds not turn catastrophic.
Taking a dip in a pool is a fun summer activity that not many of us think twice about.
Whether you’re a great swimmer or just know the basics, it’s a great way to keep cool and stay active.
Unfortunately, freak accidents have the potential to occur in any fun situation.
Many of us have either heard or know someone who has had a near-drowning experience at a pool or open body of water.
It’s an extremely frightening situation for everyone involved.
Luckily, many people are able to stay calm enough to take quick action when something bad happens.
This happened recently to one family in Georgia who were, like many families, looking to enjoy a hot afternoon in the pool.
Three-year-old Kali Dallis has her big sister to thank after a trip to the pool very nearly turned tragic.
Kali and her 10-year-old sister Jayla were swimming at an apartment complex pool one afternoon when things wrong for Kali, and it happened shockingly quickly.
And, as WAFB reported , the whole dramatic and somewhat disturbing scene was caught on surveillance video.
With Jayla at the deep end of the pool, Kali decided to jump off the stairs at the shallow end while wearing an inflatable ring around her waist.
It’s a jump probably every one of us has made when we were young. However, it went wrong for Kali almost immediately.
When she hit the water, Kali got tangled up in her inner tube.
Instead of keeping her afloat, she got stuck underwater and started flailing, trying to right herself.
At the far end of the pool, Jayla didn’t notice at first, but when she did, she didn’t hesitate.
She came running, leaped into the pool, and hauled her little sister onto the pool deck. She immediately started trying to resuscitate Kali and a witness called 911.
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The girls’ aunt and an apartment manager quickly took over CPR for her, but things weren’t looking good.
“We’ve been out here, probably, for two minutes, but we need some help here,” the 911 recording said.
Sgt. Ed Lyons of the Chamblee Police Department, who has a 6-year-old daughter of his own, responded to the scene.
“I saw my little girl laying there, same kind of little bathing suit she wears,” he said. “Same little hair pulled up in a little bun up top. You know you kind of have to push past that and do what you’re trained to do.”
Kali soon started showing signs of life, but she still needed to go to the hospital.
Her mother, Daneshia, met the girls at the hospital, where Kali had been hooked up to a ventilator. Doctors said they weren’t sure that she would make it.
But, two weeks later, Kali was released from the hospital, and now doctors are expecting a full recovery.
“It’s amazing. It’s a miracle,” said Daneshia. “Don’t take your eyes off of them. All the floats are not safe. Be careful. Watch your kids.”
h/t WAFB