On Tuesday, a firefighter in Southern California used Ring video to save his son, then 1 year old, from drowning in the family pool. The Hemet Firefighters Association posted the video to their social media accounts in an effort to raise awareness among parents about how easily and fast their children can drown.
Cole, the small youngster in the clip, is clearly not old enough to swim. The association identified the father as Zachary Petite, a fire engineer and paramedic with the Hemet Fire Department, in a statement to Fox News Digital. Petite’s youngest son is named Cole.
In the 40-second clip, the toddler can be seen waddling about the pool before plunging in. As soon as Petite sees his son enter the water, he dives to the floor and quickly pulls him out, laying him on his back.
The Hemet Firefighters Association posted on Facebook, “This video is a sobering reminder that a child drowning can happen to anyone, anytime, in a matter of seconds.” Despite his parents’ best efforts to keep him out of the pool, the child found a way to slip past the fence and into the water without their noticing.
“Remember, children drown without a sound, please watch the video,” the group said. The Hemet Firefighters Association thanked Petite for his heroic actions in saving his son’s life.
“Even though young Cole Petite managed to find his way into the water without being noticed, Zack and [his wife] Jessica’s proactive approach to pool safety is the reason their son survived,” the group said to Fox News Digital.
The following tweet serves as confirmation of the news:
Before being rescued, Petite told KTLA that his son was plunging to the bottom of the pool. Petite said, “I looked around and couldn’t find him, and then I saw him sinking to the bottom of the pool.”
When I saw him struggling in the water, I went over and pulled him to safety. The father urged other parents, “If you’ve got a pool, make sure it has a gate, a child safety lock, and door alarms.
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