A young boy is fighting for his life in hospital after he was pulled from a Sydney public pool on Sunday.
The two-year-old was rushed to The Children’s Hospital at Westmead in a serious condition after he was located unconscious at the Whitlam Leisure Centre in Liverpool shortly after 1.30pm.
Swimmers Ali Ahmadi and Abbas Amiri leapt into action to save the boy after spotting him lifeless in the water.
‘As soon as we walked out, I saw a baby on the water floating, and I [asked my friend] “Is it a toy or a baby?”,’ Mr Ahmadi said.
‘He said “a baby” and my friend ran outside to ask the lifeguard for help, and I got him out of the water, and everyone came around me.
‘I ran outside to ask the lifeguards for help. We took him out, and everyone came around us.’
Mr Amari, a nurse visiting Australia from Sweden, performed first aid on the boy after he was pulled from the water.
‘He was face down, and I brought him up; something yellow came from his mouth, and I tried to help him as soon I came out from the water,’ Mr Amiri said.
He was taken to hospital in a stable condition for further treatment.
A two-year-old has been rushed to hospital after a near drowning at a public pool in Liverpool
Distraught relatives consoled each other as paramedics stabalised the little boy
The boy’s distraught mother was seen being comforted by relatives and emergency responders as paramedics stabilised the boy’s condition.
Whitlam Leisure Centre was packed with visitors at the time of the near-drowning as temperatures soared to 33C.
Less than three weeks ago, Whitlam Leisure Centre posted a message on its website reminding parents of young children to maintain constant adult supervision at all times in the lead-up to summer.
‘Most fatal drownings in young children aged 0-4 years occurred in swimming pools and bathtubs,’ the message read.
‘All children and weak or non-swimmers should have constant adult supervision from parents or carers when in and around water.
‘While we do have lifeguards prepared for extreme circumstances, it is important that parents and guardians are fully aware of what their children are doing at all times.
Relatives of the little boy were comforted by emergency services
‘Parents and guardians should also be on the lookout for areas of water that cannot be properly supervised, such as water with a glared surface, too much shade, or areas that are out of sight.
‘These factors can prevent you from seeing what is going on in and underneath the water, therefore leading to an increased risk of accidents.’
Belgravia Leisure, which operates the centre, has been contacted for comment.
