Two year old saves herself from drowning in jacuzzi

Monday, August 11, 2008

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Helena, 2, shows off her life saving move in the pool. Watch the story Watch Video

MANATEE COUNTY (Bay News 9) -- A 2-year-old girl saved herself from drowning in a jacuzzi a few days ago.

Helena Dunham did it by floating on her back.

Dawn Dunham says her little girl recently learned the life saving move at Infant Resource Swimming lessons in Manatee County.

"She was just sitting there as calm as can be floating," Dunham said.

Helena has only been taking lessons for five weeks. But already she's learned how to float, hold her breath under water and swim to the side of the pool.

Becky O'Reilly, Helena's instructor, says she teaches all of her students, ages 6 months to 6 years old, those skills.

"Self rescue, so if they fall in the edge they turn around and grab the edge; they fall in fully clothed, they can handle the weight of a diaper or shoes," said O'Reilly, a certified instructor with Infant Swimming Resource.

O'Reilly says she uses both verbal and nonverbal cues to teach her students.

"Within a minute or two minutes a child can be dead or be brain damaged," she said. "With our lessons children learn to come to (the) surface and get air."

The instruction techniques are clinically researched that O'Reilly says not only differs from traditional swim lessons but work.

"It's behavior conditioning. We've never had a fatality from anyone who has had Infant Resource Swimming lessons," O'Reilly said.

Dunham says she believes the lessons saved her daughter's life.

"I can't even describe in words how thankful I am," she said.

E-mail TV reporter Summer Smith

Contact Information

Infant Swimming Resource (ISR)

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