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A weekend party in Houston turned scary when a toddler ended up at the bottom of a pool, but thankfully – it was a little girl who jumped in and saved him.

Sofia Patel started swimming early in her life.

“It was hard at first,” admitted the 7-year-old swimmer.

She started attending lessons at Houston Swim Club in Pearland at just 3 years of age, never imagining the skills she learned would save someone’s life.

“When I saw him I said, ‘I need to save that kid because no one else could save him’ because I was underwater at that moment,” she said.

The second grade girl was at a weekend party at a neighbor’s home when the toddler fell in the pool.

“I went underwater and grabbed him with this hand and then I got him to a low step because, I couldn’t carry him no more and then the adults came and did everything else,” said Sofia.

EXCLUSIVE: 7-year-old swimmer saves toddler who fell into backyard pool. At 10, her inspiring story @houstonswimclub #KHOU11 #HouNews pic.twitter.com/ZBASYBWPiP— Grace White (@GraceWhiteKHOU) October 14, 2017

The toddler’s parents started performing CPR and it wasn’t until an ambulance came, Sofia’s parents learned how much her swimming skills actually paid off.

“The mother of the little boy came over and gave Sofia a hug and said ‘Thank you for saving my little boy’s life’ and we were like what? My daughter did that,” said Tejal Patel, Sofia’s mother.

“It felt awesome, because I could finally put my swimming lessons to use for once,” said Sofia.
Back in the pool, she’s still sharpening her skills and thankful what she’s learning came in handy.
“It makes me happy that I saved someone’s life,” she said.

The toddler’s family has asked not to be identified but they told reporters they’re incredibly grateful for the brave actions of the girl that saved their little boy’s life.

What Every Parent Needs To Know About Water Safety

We hear it on the news and we hear stories from our friends but it can literally happen to any family in the blink of an eye!

Kids love being in and around the water but we as parents need to ensure their safety at all times. Drowning is one of the top causes of unnatural death amongst children but at the same time, these ill-fated events are very preventable.

Here are a few water safety tips which we as parents can do to prevent such a tragic occurrence and ensure that your time spent at the pool is a happy and safe time for everyone.

Supervision

Never leave a child alone in or around water – be it the pool, ocean or even in the bath! Be watchful and keep an observant eye on the children around water, keep pool gates locked or cover your pool with a certified pool net. A basic course in first aid and CPR will also make a difference in the outcome of an incident should the skills be applied timeously.

Barriers

Having multiple layers of safety around pool and spa areas or any other open bodies of water (such as a safety net, a closed fence and a surface alarm) can prevent tragic accidents.

Prevention is better than cure!

Make sure that these barriers are well maintained and properly fitted at all times. Also make sure that when your kids are swimming over at a neighbour or family member’s home that these are in place.

Swimming lessons

My 2.5 year old daughter has started swimming lessons this year and the first lessons she learnt was how to climb out of the pool and how to float on her back.

Children should actually learn to swim as soon as possible. It’s important for them to be trained in survival skills such as floating and treading water and even if they are able to do so, constant supervision is still always necessary.

Finally and this goes without saying – remember the sunhats and sunblock AND don’t forget to have fun!