Toddler seconds away from 'drowning without a sound'
The boy's parents took all the necessary precautions but he still managed to jump in the water.
Heart-stopping footage captures the moment a quick-thinking dad rushes to save his toddler who was "seconds" away from drowning in the family's backyard pool — despite "proper precautions" being taken.
The 40-second clip is a devastating reminder to parents about how quickly children can drown, said the Hemet Firefighters Association in California. "Children drown without a sound," they warned in a post on Instagram this week.
The incident occurred on May 16 at the home of a firefighter in California. He was by the pool with his daughter and one-year-old son.
'It might have been too late'
The young boy can be seen in the corner of the screen taking off his swimming vest before making his way to the edge of the pool. Within seconds, the one-year-old had jumped off the edge and immediately started to sink underwater.
His father, a firefighter and paramedic, appeared in the shot and without hesitation yanks his son from the pool.
"I looked over and I can't see my son and I noticed that he's sinking into the bottom of the pool," he told US-publication Inside Edition. "So I just dove right in, grabbed after him. If I wasn't within an arm's reach, it might have been too late for me."
Drowning can happen to 'anyone at anytime'
California firefighters said this video is a "sobering reminder that a child drowning can happen to anyone at anytime in a matter of seconds".
"Even though both parents took all the proper precautions including a gate around the pool and an appropriate PFD (personal flotation device), the boy still managed to get in the water. Dad only had his back turned for a few seconds," they said.
Parents thanked the firefighters for the important message with one admitting it's "every parent's worst nightmare". Others agreed it was "so scary" to see how easily a child could drown".
Offering their own advice, one said: "Neon-coloured swimsuits are a must too, the blue just blends right in with the water." Australian educational platform Tiny Hearts Education previously shared a video outlining the simple clothing mistake parents make when it comes to swimming in the pool.
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