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SOUTH JORDAN -- A 15-year-old girl is calling her friends heroes for saving her life when she had a seizure while swimming.
Monday afternoon, Bailee Robinson was in a South Jordan pool with about 10 close friends, including 15-year-old Cierra Peterson.
"One person dunked me, and then someone dunked Bailee. I got up to see her make this weird face, and I was like, ‘Bailee, what the heck?'" Cierra said.
Bailee slipped under the water and began shaking. She was having a seizure.
"I tried to get her head out of the water because she was face-first," Cierra said.
She then got everyone's attention and helped lift Bailee out of the water onto the deck. Bailee was not breathing at first, so JJ Larson, who is also 15 years old, took charge.
"I knew we had to get her on her side just in case something happened. I got her in the recovery position that I learned in Boy Scouts," JJ explained.
He cleared Bailee's airway and talked to a 911 operator, who instructed him to do what he'd just done.
"We've already done it. It's already done," he told the 911 operator. He says the operator was impressed.
Bailee was taken to Primary Children's Medical Center, where doctors are still trying to determine what caused her seizure; she also had one two years ago.
Bailee says she'll go swimming again one day, with good friends by her side.
"If I have people with me, they'll know what to do," she said. "I think of them as my heroes."
Because of the seizures, Bailee will have to wait an additional six months to get her learner's driving permit. Her friends have already volunteered to drive her until then.
E-mail: sdallof@ksl.com
