8-Year-Old Boy Helps Save Baby Sister From Drowning In Family's Backyard Pool
This brave big brother knew exactly what to do when he found his little sister in serious danger.
Brocreative / Shutterstock A young boy became a hero last week after he saved his baby sister from drowning in the family swimming pool.
Eight-year-old Tino Conboy had been playing with his one-year-old sister, Cami, at their family home in Placerville, California. When it got suspiciously quiet, Tino realized he was alone and that Cami had somehow wandered out of the house.
Tino searched for his sister and found her floating in the pool in the backyard, unconscious. The boy immediately knew what to do: he shouted for his mother.
“I looked at the pool and then I saw Cami in there,” Tino told CBS13. “I said, ‘Mom!'”
Diana Conboy came running when she heard her son shouting. She quickly dove in and pulled Cami out of the water, but the baby was weak and unresponsive.
According to Tino, Cami “couldn’t move her muscles. She couldn’t move anything, not even her eyes.”
Diana instructed Tino to call 911 and the eight-year-old complied, efficiently informing responders of the emergency. As a trained nurse, Diana was able to begin CPR on her own daughter.
“That’s when she was able to throw up and start breathing. That’s when I saw signs of life,” she told reporters.
Tino said that his sister’s distress gave him the strength to help save her life.
“Basically Cami gave her power to me and then that’s how I had the power to scream,” Tino explained. “And then Mom came over and jumped in and got Cami out.”
He also expressed admiration for his mother’s actions, saying, “I thought she was brave that she just went in so that she could save her daughter.”
Diana was terrified by the close call and said the incident seemed to slow time with its sheer gravity.
“It’s kind of a blur to me,” she said. “It seemed like the timing was forever, but I’m sure it was just minutes.”
She was proud to witness her son’s quick thinking and responsiveness.
“I’m just so impressed with him,” Diana said of Tino. “He was so calm and collected. He called 911, gave them our address, and told them to get here immediately.”
The Conboys now have a fence around their pool to prevent similar incidents in the future.
Such precautions are critical, as bodies of water can pose a danger to small children.
The World Health Organization reports that drowning is the second most common cause of accidental injury and death for U.S. children between the ages of one and fourteen.
Diana also emphasized the importance of learning CPR, in case of emergencies like the one she and her son faced.
CPR training courses are available to the public online and in person, from organizations including the American Red Cross and the National CPR Foundation. The affordability and low time commitment for these programs are far worth the potential to someday save the life of a loved one.
If you’re looking to teach your child how to respond in a crisis, there are also online resources available from organizations such as KidsHealth.org.
Most of all, the Conboy family is relieved and grateful that their little girl is safe and sound.
Tino’s urgent alert, combined with his mother’s medical knowledge, managed to avert a tragedy that would have scarred the family forever.
“It was definitely the beginning of the worst day of my life,” said Diana, “but ended with the best day of our lives.”
Allie McGlone is a writer who covers a variety of topics for YourTango, including pop culture and entertainment.