Toddler Rescued After Nearly Drowning In Pool In Perth Amboy, N.J.
PERTH AMBOY, N.J. (CBSNewYork) -- A toddler was recovering in the hospital Wednesday afternoon, after she nearly drowned in a backyard pool in Perth Amboy, New Jersey.
As CBS 2's Tony Aiello reported, Samaya Peralta, 2 1/2, somehow fell into the pool after wandering outside.
"Right away, I heard the mother jumping in the water and screaming: 'Somebody please help me! Somebody please help me!'" said Mirta Collazo.
Collazo knew right away there was something wrong in her neighbor's above-ground pool.
"She's about 2 years old, and she fell in the water; the mother pulled her out," Collazo said.
Samaya apparently wandered outside after some confusion in the house over who was keeping an eye on her. Her mother's cries for help prompted a 911 call.
Luckily, there was a Perth Amboy first responder at a nearby school, who came running – vaulting over fences to reach the pool.
"He jumped one fence, then jumped my fence," Collazo said. "And he helped a lot."
Samaya's grandfather, Alfonso Huaman, is a former lifeguard and gave his granddaughter CPR. He said his granddaughter was breathing again before an ambulance rushed her to an area hospital.
Huaman said his granddaughter will be "110 percent" OK.
"My daughter called me right now," he said.
Perth Amboy police were investigating Wednesday afternoon, and a buildings inspector stopped by the house to check for possible safety violations.
Experts said if you have a pool or live near one, and a child goes missing, it is advisable to check the pool first. Seconds count in preventing a drowning death or disability.
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