Two young cousins pulled from water at Narrabeen

A family outing at Narrabeen Lagoon turned to tragedy this afternoon when two children almost drowned.

Narrabeen Beach and Lagoon. Picture: Istock

A family outing at Narrabeen Lagoon turned to tragedy this afternoon when two children almost drowned.

A seven-year-old girl and a six-year-old boy got into trouble in the choppy water while paddling at the edge of Bilarong Reserve on Wakehurst Parkway.

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Northern Beaches Police Area Command Acting Inspector Simon Whitfield said a woman called for help when she saw her son face down in the water a few metres out from the edge.

He was pulled out semiconscious while up to 25 bystanders rushed into the water to look for the missing girl, the woman’s niece.

The boy regained full consciousness soon after he was pulled from the water.

Inspector Whitfield said one of the bystanders, who has not yet been identified, managed to find the girl submerged but floating just below the surface, about 15m out from the shore.

“She was found purely by luck,” he said. “He commenced CPR on the way back in.”

Bystanders took over once they got to shore, with paramedics arriving soon after that.

“The bystanders did get her breathing again,” he said.

Inspector Whitfield described the man’s actions as heroic and said it was likely he would be nominated for an award.

He said the girl could have died had CPR not been started so quickly and he praised the efforts of all the bystanders who took part in the dramatic search and rescue.

Inspector Whitfield said the girl did not regain full consciousness until she was in the ambulance, and she was then taken by road to Sydney Children’s Hospital at Randwick.

“At this stage she is in intensive care in a stable condition,” he said.

Her cousin is also in a stable condition.

Inspector Whitfield said the girl’s parents were travelling to the hospital to be with their daughter.

Another child, a three-year-old, was also with the family group, but was not involved in the emergency. The family is not believed to be local.

Six police cars, three ambulance units and the CareFlight rescue helicopter attended Bilarong Reserve, a popular weekend spot for families from all over Sydney.

Inspector Whitfield said the CareFlight doctor accompanied the girl to Sydney Children’s Hospital by road.

He said investigations were still continuing into what happened, but it is believed the children were not dressed for swimming and we just paddling at the water’s edge.

The high winds and choppy water are also believed to have played a part.

He said the incident was a reminder for parents and carers to be vigilant when around water with children.