Two five-year-olds rescued at Bluewater Lagoon as CPR performed

CPR was performed on a child found not breathing in a public pool just days before another was rescued in deep water. Rumours their parents were nowhere to be seen have been addressed.

Members of the public have dashed to save a five-year-old girl who was found not breathing in the water at Mackay’s Bluewater Lagoon.

CPR was performed on the child with emergency services called to take her to hospital.

The incident on Saturday happened just days before another five-year-old girl was also rescued at the same popular swimming spot on Monday.

The two rescues came to light after Melissa Swann raised the alarm at the ordinary meeting of Mackay Regional Council on Wednesday.

Mackay grandmother Melissa Swann raised the alarm on two rescues at the Bluewater Lagoon in December, 2021. Picture: Heidi Petith, Just One Moment Photography

“As a grandmother, the natural instinct is to want to try and rescue that child but I had to stand back and watch the lifeguard do her job (on Monday),” she said.

“When she scooped her up … there was no parent around.

“Again that happened on Saturday, delayed, the parent didn’t come for some time.”

Ms Swann said she gave the “wonderful” staff full credit but was calling for a notice to be installed at the entrance to the facility to draw the attention of parents, carers and guardians with children in their care.

Two five-year-old girls were rescued at the Bluewater Lagoon, Mackay in early December. Picture: Just One Moment Photography

Global Product Search has the contract for managing the Bluewater Lagoon.

GPS general manager Warren McGraw said the allegations the two five-year-old girls were not near their parents were incorrect.

“On Saturday, (the girl) was swimming with family members when it was noticed she had disappeared from sight,” Mr McGraw said.

“A parents saw her underwater and carried her from the pool, she was not breathing.

“A member of the public, a man, took her and commenced CPR.

“She responded in a short period.

“The nearest lifeguard called the emergency over the radio and within seconds, numerous lifeguards were at the scene assisting.

“One lifeguard called Triple-0 for the ambulance and another retrieved the defibrillator and oxygen but neither were needed … the girl was monitored at the lagoon for approximately 30 minutes, then taken to hospital for observation and released.”

Mr McGraw said during the incident on Monday, a lifeguard spotted the child obviously unable to swim “venture into deep water”, pulled her from the water and escorted her to her parents.

“This was an assist only,” he said.

“Parents and lifeguards were only a few metres away from both children (during both incidents).”

Mr McGraw said it was the second occasion in five years where CPR was performed at the lagoon with all lifeguards achieving their Queensland Royal Life Saving competency before “being on deck”.

“There were six lifeguards and two supervisors on duty at the time with experience ranging from first season to 20-plus years,” he said.

“GPS would like to remind everyone going to the Bluewater Lagoon to stay close to small children at all times as this can happen in the blink of an eye.

“We must keep in mind how the parents are feeling after going through this on Saturday and we wish them well.”

Mr McGraw said a councillor was called in to talk to any affected staff whom they would continue to monitor.

Originally published as Two five-year-olds rescued at Bluewater Lagoon as CPR performed