Sarah Fuller, Matthew Merritt and Anthony Dos Santos receive their Bravery Awards

Five-year-old girl saved by brave lifeguards

When emergency situations arise at leisure centres across Perth, it’s reassuring to know that the lifeguards and aquatic managers have the first-aid skills to save a life.

Altone Park Leisure Centre’s senior centre supervisor Anthony Dos Santos realised the importance of knowing first aid when a five-year old girl was found unresponsive in the 25m pool during a disco.

Anthony was the first lifeguard to notice the girl in trouble, immediately pulling the unresponsive girl from the pool with colleague Sarah Fuller, who commenced CPR. Matthew Merritt, who was the supervisor on duty, arrived with oxygen and the defibrillator.

After a short period of time, the child vomited and regurgitated a large amount of water. The child was revived by the lifeguards and commenced breathing on her own while maintaining an altered conscious state.

A quick response from multiple St John Ambulance paramedics resulted in the child being transported to PMH under priority conditions, where she made a full recovery.

According to Anthony, his first-aid training immediately kicked in, and he was able to stay calm in the emergency. “I feel it is very important to know first aid as you never know when you will need to use it,” he says. “You need to feel comfortable that you can attempt to save a loved one at any time.”

For their incredible actions, Sarah Fuller, Anthony Dos Santos and Matthew Merritt received a Gold Star Bravery Award. 

The fast actions of these three lifeguards meant that this little girl was able to make a full recovery. This child now undertakes swimming lessons at the centre to make her a more confident swimmer for the future.

To teach your chid to swim and survive, visit the link below: