Lifesaver’s harrowing rescue of three-year-old
Published: January 19, 2007
Lifesaver Keith Hennessy never wants to repeat the dramatic resuscitation that saved Ali Ben Brahim’s life.
“I thought to myself I’m not going home tonight and sitting in my bed and knowing that he died under my watch.”
The three-year-old was found face down in a 1.2-metre-deep pool at Wellington Regional Aquatic Centre last Friday after his mother left him briefly to go to the toilet.
The family thanked Kilbirnie pool staff this week, delivering flowers to Mr Hennessy.
“I’m just so glad he is alive,” his father, Ben Brahim, said. “It could have been such a tragedy. We are just so grateful.”
Ali had been in a flotation ring in the main pool where children were playing on a giant inflatable.
A sibling had been left to watch over Ali, but had not noticed him slip through the ring, Mr Hennessy said.
The child was believed to have spent a minute submerged before he was noticed by another swimmer and pulled from the water.
“His arms and face had gone completely blue,” Mr Hennessy said.
The lifeguard began cpr, but after the first round of 30 compressions Ali still had no pulse. Water was pouring out of his lungs “like a fountain” and his mother was frantic.
Ali was still without a pulse after more than a minute, but his eyes finally began to open before he had a fit and had to be put into a “butterfly grip” to prise his mouth open.
“I gave him two more breaths and his colour came back and then he started to scream his head off.”
Mr Hennessy, who has worked as a lifeguard for nearly two years, said it was his first life-and-death rescue.
“I was very grateful to be able to do it, but I wouldn’t ever go through that again, especially a young child - it was harrowing.”
Wellington City Council pool manager Julian Todd said the accident was the most serious at its pools this summer.
The near-tragedy was a reminder that adults must watch children under eight years at all times in water, he said.
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