Girl, Aged 6, Saves Unconscious Brother From Drowning in Florida Pool: Cops

A child drowning in a pool was rescued by his quick-thinking 6-year-old sister, according to Florida police.

The West Palm Beach Police Department (WPBPD) said its officers were alerted to reports that a child was unconscious after being pulled from a pool at the Springhill Suites Hotel at about 7:51 p.m. on Friday, August 26.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), every year there are an estimated 3,960 fatal unintentional drownings in the U.S. This includes boat-related drownings.

It added more children aged between 1 and 4 die from drowning, than any other cause of death except birth defects.

The CDC said that for children aged 1 to 14, drowning is the second-leading cause of "unintentional injury death" after vehicle crashes.

In the press release shared on Facebook on Saturday, August 27, police said the 5-year-old boy was rescued by his sister.

It added: "The 911 caller stated a five-year-old boy was pulled from the pool and not breathing. Instructions on CPR were given by emergency medical dispatchers from the county fire dispatch center to the caller while West Palm Beach police and fire departments responded."

Police said the responding officer arrived within two minutes and was told the child was breathing.

The boy was taken to St. Mary's Medical Center where he was said to be "conscious, but not fully alert."

A WPBPD spokesperson continued: "Officers determined that a West Palm Beach family was at the hotel with about 20 others present at the time of the call.

"The victim's six-year-old sister grabbed him from the bottom of the pool, assisted by an 11-year-old girl and alerted nearby adults. CPR was administered and the victim was resuscitated."

West Palm Beach police added the investigation remains ongoing, although it added no charges are pending.

Newsweek has contacted the West Palm Beach Police Department for comment.

According to the CDC, there are 22 nonfatal drownings per day in the U.S. and an estimated 8,080 every year.

Newsweek has covered several cases where children have been saved from drowning.

In January 2022, two men saved four "unattended " children from drowning at a New Zealand beach.

The New Zealand Herald reported Jacob Laban saw four children, all believed to be under 10, were caught in a rip current.

Laban and his brother-in-law Joe Lasini managed to save the children and bring them to safety.

Once they were back on the beach, the children ran back to their parents and were reportedly "bawling their eyes out."