Near-drowning victim thanks those who saved him at Croydon swimming pool

A DOTING dad who suffered heart problems and almost drowned while swimming at a pool in Melbourne’s east has had an emotional reunion with the people who saved his life.

Warranwood man Andrew Moore was reunited with the bystanders, lifeguards, MFB fire fighters and paramedics who helped saved his life after experiencing a cardiac arrest while swimming at Croydon Memorial Pool on November 19, 2015. The 38-year-old was found by a swimmer, Trish Curtis floating face down and unresponsive. He was taken to hospital for further care before returning home to his family. Firefighter James Harris, ambulance paramedic Adrian Schwarz, Kate and Andrew Moore wtih son Ashton, lifeguard Jake Hickleton, with Lou di Gregorio who helped initiate CPR on Andrew and Trish Curtis who found Andrew lying facing down in the water. Picture: Lawrence Pinder

CHRISTMAS is going to be very, very special for Andrew Moore and his family.

Five weeks ago, the teacher, a regular swimmer and normally healthy 38-year-old, was pulled — lifeless — from Croydon Memorial Pool after swimmer Trish Curtis saw him floating near the pool floor.

Thinking he was doing breathing exercises, Trish dived down and gave him the ‘thumbs up’ sign.

“I expected a ‘thumbs up’ in return or for him to be really annoyed and swipe my hand away,” Trish said.

“He didn’t react at all.

“I quickly jumped up and called out.”

Lifeguard Jake Hickleton and swimmer Lou di Gregorio began CPR and used a defibrillator on the young dad.

MICA paramedics and firefighters were quickly on the scene, taking over the resuscitation, and restoring a pulse.

Doctors are still not certain what caused the heart episode, but ventricular fibrillation - an irregular heartbeat - is the most likely explanation, Andrew said.

While Andrew was on his way to Maroondah Hospital, police were on their way to his Warranwood home to see wife Kate.

“I couldn’t fathom what they were saying,” Kate Moore said.

“It was just a normal night — I’d put (18-month-old son) Ashton to bed and was in my pyjamas.

“I thought it was Andrew ringing the doorbell because he had his arms full of his swimming gear.”

A defibrillator helped save the life of a Warranwood school teacher who almost drowned at a Croydon pool.

Kate raced next door to ask a neighbour to watch the toddler and was driven to the hospital.

“I was calling relatives madly, all the while thinking that people don’t survive drownings,” she said.

Doctors told her that Andrew, a Year 3 teacher at Laburnum Primary School, was being transferred to Box Hill Hospital.

“That first night was the longest,” Kate said.

“We just sat by the bed.”

In an emotional reunion, Andrew and Kate today met most of those who helped him on November 19, including Trish, Jake and firefighters and paramedics.

“I don’t remember leaving school that day or arriving at the pool,” Andrew said.

“It’s all a blank.

“I suspect it was more traumatic for everybody else involved as I can only piece together what happened from what people tell me.”

Specialists were concerned Andrew had suffered serious brain damage, but he soon started showing positive neurological signs.

A week later, he emerged from the coma, and rapidly improved.
Doctors are still uncertain what caused Andrew’s heart to stop, and he begins cardiac rehabilitation after Christmas.

While he is often tired, one of the biggest effects of the episode has been a weight loss of 13kg.
“I feel so skinny and have lost so much muscle tone, so I need to rebuild that,” Andrew said. “We have had phenomenal support from family and friends, and I’m far more appreciative of all we have.”

Paramedic Debra Norbury said everybody worked together incredibly well at the pool to keep Andrew alive.

“It’s a testament to everyone at the scene and the outstanding hospital care that he’s doing so well,” she said.

Croydon Memorial Pool is one of the 27 Public Access Defibrillator (PAD) sites supported by Ambulance Victoria.

This was the fourth time the Croydon PAD site was used to help save a life.