Two young girls rushed to hospital after Perth near drowning
Two five-year-old girls are lucky to have escaped with their lives just days after two other children were found floating in the Swan River.
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Two young girls have been rushed to hospital after a frightening near drowning in Western Australia.
What was supposed to be a relaxing family day at Port Coogee Marina in Perth’s south on Wednesday turned into a terrifying ordeal after two five-year-old girls got into trouble in the water and began struggling.
It’s understood that in their panic, the little girls were pushing each other under the surface, before each of them took on water.
Good Samaritans Adrian and Jenny Hills were called in to help by a family member of the little girls, who asked them to get a defibrillator in case the pair needed to be resuscitated.
“They’d already vomited up the water, so by the time we got there, they were just pretty shaken up,” Mr Hills told 9 News.
Mr Hills said that there was no sign the girls were in trouble until he was asked to help.
“Didn’t see a thing, it was really quiet because that’s what happens when kids drown,” he said.
“There’s not really much of a raucous, they can go under and then you don’t hear anything.”
The pair stayed with the family and helped keep the girls calm until paramedics arrived, luckily not needing the defibrillator.
The terrifying scenario comes just days after two children were found floating in the Swan River near Burswood Park Playground on New Year’s Eve.
A four-year-old girl and six-year-old boy were pulled unresponsive from the river at about 5:25pm on Sunday evening.
The children, who were unrelated but known to each other, died while being rushed to Perth Children’s Hospital.
It’s believed their families are Syrian refugees who had come to Australia to escape the civil war.
A witness at the scene said a man pulled the boy and girl out of the water before a woman began CPR, trying to save their lives.
“From that moment everyone was just gathered around. There was a lot of panic and chaos,” he told the ABC.
He said he also saw the mother of one of the children collapse after witnessing the resuscitation attempt.
This summer has been particularly tragic for drowning deaths in Australian waters, according to Royal Life Saving Australia’s drowning toll.
There have been 38 drowning deaths since the start of December, compared to 33 this time last year.
Originally published as Two young girls rushed to hospital after Perth near drowning
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