By EMS1 Staff
INDIAN ROCKS, Fla. — A photo of a firefighter-paramedic watching over a toddler at the hospital after she almost drowned has gone viral.
ABC Action News reported that Pinellas Suncoast Fire & Rescue posted a photo of firefighter-paramedic Doug Higley sitting by a 3-year-old’s side as she lay in bed at a hospital.
Officials said the girl was being watched at a water park by her 13-year-old sister, who ran into their vacation condo to grab something when the toddler jumped into a lazy river.
Off-duty paramedic Josh Hoover and lifeguard John Sideratos jumped into action and pulled the girl out of the water before performing CPR on her. She has since made a full recovery.
Higley said he was waiting for the girl’s parents to arrive because they could not ride in the ambulance and it took them 30 minutes to reach the hospital. He said he entertained the girl and kept her calm while they waited.
“It is an amazing outcome for what is all too often a tragic one,” a PSFR Facebook post including the image of Higley and the girl said.
The photo has since been shared over 2,000 times.