A neighbour’s quick thinking and knowledge of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) helped save the life of a three-year-old boy after he was pulled from a swimming pool in Salt Rock on the Dolphin Coast yesterday afternoon (July 6).

According to The North Coast Courier, paramedics responded to reports of a drowning in progress and arrived to find the child in a serious condition after he had reportedly been submerged for about 10 minutes.

Before IPSS Medical Rescue arrived, the boy had been pulled from the pool by family members.

Neighbour Jacques Joubert immediately began performing CPR.

“I heard shouting next door that turned to screaming. The mother was hysterical. I saw the child’s sister carrying his limp body up the driveway and ran to assist. Thankfully I know how to do CPR. It took quite a while, but he started breathing. It was a miracle,” he said.

Advanced Life Support paramedics from IPSS Medical Rescue stabilised the child at the scene before transporting him to a nearby medical facility for further treatment.

A hero

IPSS Medical Rescue credited Joubert’s swift intervention with preventing a far worse outcome.

“We would like to thank the heroic neighbour, Jacques Joubert, whose quick action and early CPR undoubtedly prevented further tragedy,” said spokesperson Kelsey-Jae Meyrick.

The incident serves as a reminder of the importance of constant supervision around swimming pools, particularly for young children, and highlights how immediate bystander CPR can significantly improve a drowning victim’s chances of survival while waiting for emergency medical services.

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