Two children in critical condition after near drowning at Casula
The grandfather of two toddlers who were found unresponsive in the family’s backyard pool is struggling to understand how the boy and girl managed to get into the fenced off and gated pool. The cousins were taken to hospital in a critical condition.
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A Sydney grandfather is struggling to fathom how his two little grandchildren found their way into their backyard swimming pool and almost drowned.
Awi Achrafe arrived at the Lakewood Crescent home in Casula just before 3pm on Saturday to find paramedics frantically working to revive the 18-month-old girl and a 23-month-old boy.
Destiny and Osmond, who are cousins, were found unresponsive in the pool, which is fenced off.
NSW Ambulance said the children were treated at the scene before being taken to The Children’s Hospital at Westmead in a critical condition.
Mr Achrafe told The Sunday Telegraph he was still coming to terms with the incident.
“All the family were home at the time. How they got into the pool I don’t know,” he said.
“The pool is fenced off and has a gate, the (children) couldn’t open it.
“I don’t understand how it could have happened. They don’t know how to swim, they’re only young.”
Mr Achrafe described his grandchildren as “beautiful children”.
He said the family have lived at the home for three years.
“I visit them every day. They’re beautiful,” he said.
“They’re always smiling and playing. I’m praying for them.”
NSW Ambulance Inspector Gavin Wood credited the fast-acting work of the police officers who performed CPR on the children before paramedics arrived.
“The (children) were both in cardiac arrest and unresponsive. It was an incredibly traumatic and chaotic scene,” Insp Wood said.
“The response time of police was eight minutes after the initial call and they managed to perform effective CPR – without that we may have had a very different outcome.
“Fortunately paramedics were able to return spontaneous circulation upon arrival.
“To treat a patient in a cardiac situation is challenging at the worst of times, but to treat two at the same time is very difficult.
“Both (children) remain in critical care but at the moment we’re hopeful.”
NSW Police officers attended the home and set up a crime scene.
Originally published as Two children in critical condition after near drowning at Casula