Logan brothers aged 4 and 6 rescue boy from drowning at Gold Coast resort

Two Logan brothers aged only four and six are heroes to their parents after dramatically saving a boy from drowning in a Gold Coast resort pool during a family holiday.

Two Logan brothers aged only four and six put years of swimming lessons to good use after saving a boy from drowning in a dramatic rescue at a Gold Coast report pool.

Preetsimar Virdi, speaking for the first time about the incident, said he could not be prouder of his sons after they dragged a drowning a four-year-old boy to safety during a family holiday at Surfers Paradise.

The boys were presented with Kids Alive Watch Your Mate medals at a ceremony in Logan this week.

Rabbi Virdi, six, and his brother Tegh, four, were playing with the four-year-old in a pool at the Voco Hotel in September when they saw the boy jump into the deep end of the pool.

He was chasing after a toy before jumping the 1.7m-deep water.

The brothers sprang into action, drawing on their swimming experience honed during lessons which began before they could even walk.

They dived in and managed to pull the boy to the surface and then push him out of the pool.

The boy was unharmed but vomiting up a mouthful of water.

Mr Virdi said he was immensely proud of his sons, whom he trained with regular role-play drowning rescue scenarios.

Tegh and Rabbi Virdi, with their mother, show off their Kids Alive gold medals. Picture: Contributed

“I couldn’t believe it,” Mr Virdi said. “I didn’t know it was going to happen.

“We always practise when we go to the beach.

“I’ll say ‘I’m drowning can you pull me out?’.

“If it’s a bigger person, how do you get them out, I ask them.

“They know there’s always noodles and floating tubes around to use if it’s a bigger person.”

The brothers have been taking swimming lessons since they were about one.

“We (my wife and I) grew up in a different country, we never had a chance,” Mr Virdi said.

“We want to give every opportunity to our kids.

“Everywhere we go is near the water and the need to know how to save others.

“It’s (the rescue) a big thing. It would’ve been a fatality.”

The Virdi family love spending time in the water and the boys began swimming lessons before they turned one. Picture: Contributed

The boys were presented with Kids Alive Watch Your Mate gold medals at AquaLogan Logan Swim School on Thursday morning, January 25, by legendary swim coach and Kids Alive founder Laurie Lawrence.

Mr Lawrence said he was taken aback by the bravery and quick-thinking of the boys.

He said their story was a timely reminder on the Australia Day long weekend for everyone to brush up on their pool safety.

“We are worried about that under five-years group,” Mr Lawrence said.

“The most dangerous age is one to two when they have their trainer wheels on.

“They’re inquisitive and they get into a pool that’s opened, topple in and then it’s silent.

“That’s when these young toddlers are in trouble.”

Australia’s summer drowning fatalities were up 17 per cent compared this year with the same time last year.

Laurie Lawrence was taken aback by the bravery and quick thinking of the boys. Picture: File

“Parents may be taking lessons for granted and not starting them with lessons early,” Mr Lawrence said.

“It teaches kids respect for the water so they are less likely to run into life-threatening situations.

“Research by Robyn Jorgensen shows that swimming builds their emotional, physical, social and intellectual capital.

“All these kids with early lessons, by the time prep comes around, will be 10 months ahead of their peers in development.”

Drowning is the greatest cause of accidental death in children under five in Australia, with a child drowning once a week on average.

Kids Alive is urging Australians to follow five water safety rules this long weekend; fence home pools; shut pool gates; teach children to swim; supervise children; learn resuscitation.

For more information ways to keep safe in the pool visit: kidsalive.com.au