West Australian mom Sysy O’Neil thought her daughter was lifeless when she pulled her from the household pool, unconscious, not respiration and with foam round her mouth.
Two-year-old Giselle lay limp in her mom’s arms.
“I had this baby that was lifeless,” O’Neil mentioned.
“She wasn’t responsive in any respect. I clearly thought the worst had occurred.”
Moments earlier, Giselle had been taking part in within the pool at their Hamersley residence together with her sister, looking for dive toys. Then all the things went quiet.
Her seven-year-old sister Mia noticed Giselle face-down within the water and pulled her out, screaming for assist.
“Mia known as out to me and mentioned, ‘mummy, Giselle is frozen’,” O’Neil mentioned.
She instantly started CPR, following directions from a triple-zero operator whereas ready for paramedics. After a number of agonising minutes, Giselle started respiration once more.
She was rushed to Perth Kids’s Hospital, spending the night time in intensive care earlier than being discharged the next day with no lasting accidents.
“It might have been a really totally different Christmas,” O’Neil mentioned.
Summer season’s hidden hazard
Whereas Giselle’s story led to aid, specialists warn many households aren’t as fortunate.
Knowledge obtained by 9News Perth forward of the discharge of a report by Kidsafe WA reveals 4813 youngsters had been handled for accidents at Perth Kids’s Hospital’s emergency division between December 2024 and January 2025.
It equates to virtually one in 4 of all baby harm shows for the whole 12 months, packed into simply two summer time months.
Kidsafe WA chief govt Scott Phillips mentioned hotter climate introduced heightened dangers.
“A few quarter of all accidents for the 12 months occur throughout summer time,” he mentioned.
The most typical accidents had been falls, accounting for 1721 circumstances, adopted by blunt drive accidents corresponding to knocks and collisions, with 1092 circumstances.
The hospital additionally handled youngsters for bike-related accidents with 118 circumstances, and bites and stings, totalling 181.
However drowning stays essentially the most harmful risk.
Of the 24 baby drowning emergencies recorded throughout the 12 months, 19 occurred throughout summer time.
Consultants say drowning usually occurs silently – in yard swimming pools and acquainted locations – and may take simply seconds.
“Our supervision, we simply have to be vigilant,” Phillips mentioned.
“Be certain younger youngsters are watched always. They don’t at all times make good selections round water.”
For O’Neil, CPR coaching made the distinction.
“The one time I actually wanted it in my 38 years of life, it actually saved my baby,” she mentioned.
Her husband Ronald mentioned no mother or father anticipated to make use of these abilities – till they must.
“Nobody desires to present CPR to their very own baby,” he mentioned.
“However figuring out the best way to do it – and staying calm – saved her life.”
The household credit older sister Mia for saving Giselle’s life, as she was the primary to note one thing was unsuitable.
“We had been fortunate – however the luck was pushed by our heroic little daughter, Mia, pulling her sister from the water, and by my spouse staying calm and figuring out what to,” Ronald mentioned.
Now at residence, Giselle’s household hopes sharing their story prevents one other tragedy.
