ST, 20 Dec 2010
A GIRL who almost drowned on Sunday afternoon in Marina Bay Sands’ infinity pool was saved, not by a lifeguard but by a hotel guest, who performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR)
The incident was reported by STOMPer Eric on Singapore’s leading citizen journalism portal STOMP. The contributor also posted photos of the scene online.
The drowning girl, who wore a pink bathing suit and looked to be no more than ten years of age, was successfully pulled out from the pool.
But ‘the lifeguard on duty didn’t seem to be able to perform CPR’, wrote Eric which shocked by-standers.
However, in an email reply to straitstimes.com, a Marina Bay Sands’ spokesperson said, ‘in a near-drowning incident, the first step is to ascertain if the airway is clear and in this case, the child was placed in a position to minimise any possible airway blockage. The lifeguard will determine if there is a pulse as CPR is only performed if there’s no breathing or pulse.
‘At the time, one of our hotel guests identified himself as a doctor immediately and came forward to administer CPR. We thank him for his proactive assistance.’
The spokesperson also said that all Marina Bay Sands lifeguards have received Lifeguarding Certificates and CPR Certificates.
‘We strongly encourage all guests to take the necessary precautions if they are not strong swimmers or if they are swimming with children or people with any pre-existing health conditions,’ said the spokesperson.
RT @CasinoSingapore: Saved by guest not lifeguard http://bit.ly/fXMX0L