A Los Angeles Fire Department crew was reunited Tuesday with a 3-year-old girl who was saved from drowning in Studio City.
The near-drowning occurred on May 9. First responders were at the scene within four minutes of getting a call that a child had been pulled from a swimming pool, according to the LAFD’s Jennifer Middleton.
The 3-year-old, whose name is Keira, was lying next to the pool, wasn’t breathing and had no pulse when the crew arrived.
“Without hesitation, the members of Station 86 took immediate control of the emergency scene,” Middleton explained. “Within five minutes of the initial 911 dispatch, paramedics initiated advanced resuscitative care, seamless(ly) combining continuous CPR with critical airway management.”
After four minutes of working on the girl, her heart was beating again.
“Keira’s vital signs steadily improved throughout transport to a local emergency room,” Middleton said. “Upon arrival, the receiving emergency physician expressed strong optimism for her full medical recovery.”
Indeed, on Tuesday, Keira, with her parents and brother present, joined the responding crew members, who were formally recognized for saving the girl’s life.
“Nothing weighs on a firefighter like a call involving a child,” a presenter with the LAFD said during the presentation of honors. “What this crew accomplished under that level of pressure represents the very best of our department.”
Images from the ceremony showed the beaming rescue crew posing with Keira and her family.
“Seeing Keira here today with her family reminds all of us why we do this work,” the LAFD official who presented the honors said.