‘Superhero’ Geelong nurse Penne Batters resuscitates drowned toddler while on QLD getaway

A quick thinking Geelong nurse is being praised as a “superhero” after saving the life of a toddler while on holiday in Brisbane.

A quick thinking Geelong nurse is being praised as a “superhero” after saving the life of a toddler while on holiday in Brisbane.

St John of God Hospital nurse Penne Batters resuscitated a drowned two-year-old while at a public pool on the outskirts of Brisbane earlier this week, in the first time she’d ever saved a life outside of a hospital.

St John of God nurse Penne Batters on holiday with her family in Brisbane, where her quick thinking saved the life of a drowned toddler

The Ocean Grove resident said her incredible feat was a reminder of the importance of learning CPR.

“My husband and I both have long service so we thought we’d take three months off an go travelling with our two girls up the east coast of Australia,” Ms Batters said on Tuesday.

“We were staying on the outskirts of Brisbane a couple of days ago, and we took the girls to one of the local swimming pools – I think it was Sandgate Swimming Centre.”

“We were just about to leave probably 5.30 in the evening and this woman came running out of the swimming pool with her little boy, he was probably only two, screaming ‘help me, help my little boy’.

“I got up and ran over, and the little boy was floppy like a ragdoll, and she laid him on the ground beside the pool and we could see straight away he had blue lips, not breathing, not responsive, clearly had drowned.

“I took one look and started CPR.

“Luckily, after a few rounds of CPR, only a minute and a half really, he started to respond. So we didn’t had to go down the path of using a defibrillator or anything like that.

“We were so grateful when he started crying, it was just the best feeling.”

Ms Batters said she had gone into “automatic pilot mode” when she realised the boy had drowned, and said the ordeal was a reminder of the importance of learning CPR.

“I’m just happy I was in the right place at the right time so I could help,” Ms Batters said.

“I strongly suggest people not only know how to do correct CPR on adults, but also make sure you’re really good with kids, because it’s a little bit different, in the techniques you use.

“It is quite traumatic when you see it and you do go into chock. So if you kind of know deep down what to do, it will help you to act and do something useful in a situation that is pretty stressful.

“I’ve been nursing for 25 years and never been involved in an out of hospital arrest, so it can happen at any time.”

Ms Batters said her position as household superhero had also been bolstered by her quick thinking.

“Our girls are 10 and eight, they knew what I was doing was really amazing, I don’t think they fully grasped the whole gravity of the situation, but they know that I saved a little boy,” she said. “They were walking around going ‘mum’s a superhero!’”

Originally published as ‘Superhero’ Geelong nurse Penne Batters resuscitates drowned toddler while on QLD getaway