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Nadine Wimmer Reporting A one-year-old Syracuse boy nearly drowned over the weekend in a bathtub. But, a 9-1-1 dispatcher walked the father through CPR, to save his child's life.
A baby can drown in just an inch of water, if they were to fall in a bucket, toilet or tub. It's one of the leading causes of accidental death for young children and it's 100-percent preventable. Here's how to Stay Safe.
"9-1-1, what's your emergency?"
"My son was drowning in the tub!"
"How old is he?"
"He's one."
"Is he breathing?"
"No, he's not."
That's a call no parent wants to make. And yet, too often we underestimate how quickly a child can drown.
Cyndi Bemis, State Health Department: "When we look at the data over the last seven years, that's when it occurs, when a parent or another older person who is supposed to be supervising the child left for just a moment."
Unintentional drowning is the second leading cause of death among young children. On average more than 100 Utah children a year go to the ER for near drowning.
In a third of the state's bathtub drownings, babies were left in the tub with older siblings.
Cyndi Bemis, State Health Dept.: "You really shouldn't leave a child of any age with an older sibling and expect that older sibling to take that responsibility. It's just too much responsibility for a child."
Fortunately, for a Syracuse family, a dispatcher's CPR instructions helped the child start breathing.
"He takes a breath then he stops again" "The ambulance is there. I'm going to let you go and let them help you. Good job."
"We are so happy when there is a good outcome. Sadly, there are dozens and dozens of not so good outcomes."
This is especially important because we're heading into summer months, when you bring pools and other bodies of water into the equation.
