A 10-year-old is being praised for her quick response after she rescued her three-year-old sister from drowning in a swimming pool.
Jayla Dallis and her sister Kali were swimming at the Savoy Apartment Complex in Chamblee, Georgia on 15 May when Jayla noticed her little sister was underwater and unable to breathe as a result of an overturned pool float and jumped in to rescue her.
The rescue was caught on surveillance camera and sees Jayla run towards her sister before jumping into the water and pulling her out of the pool.
“She was like heavy, so I had to pull her by her hair and then I grabbed her by her waist and pulled her up,” the 10-year-old told WSB-TV.
After pulling the young girl from the pool, the apartment operations manager and the girl’s aunt performed CPR while the family waited for paramedics.
Chamblee Police Sgt Ed Lyons was the first to arrive at the scene, where he recalls feeling as if it were his own six-year-old daughter.
“I saw my little girl laying there. Same kind of little bathing suit she wears. Same little hair pulled up in a little bun up top,” he told the outlet. “You know, you kind of have to push past that and do what you’re trained to do.”
Despite her sister’s quick response, Kali was admitted to the hospital in critical condition, where she was hooked up to a ventilator.
Fortunately, after two weeks in the hospital, Kali was able to return home Friday.
Following the terrifying experience, Jayla and Kali’s mother Daneshia Dallis is reminding other parents not to take their eyes off their children - and to be aware of the dangers associated with floats.
“It’s a miracle. Don’t take your eyes off of them. All the floats are not safe. Be careful. Watch your kids,” the mum said.
Drowning is the leading cause of death for children in the United States, according to the Red Cross. For information on pool and swimming safety, you can go here.
