Actions of bystanders — including kids — saved 3-year-old from drowning in B.C. lake, police say

Police are commending the actions of several bystanders — including three young children — who leapt into action to save the life of a three-year-old girl who nearly drowned on Tuesday.

Kimberley RCMP say the girl is now in stable condition after the near-drowning incident at Wasa Lake in the East Kootenay.

Police were called to the scene just after 1 p.m. after the girl was pulled out of the water unresponsive.

The bystanders were able to provide life-saving measures and resuscitate her before she was taken to hospital.

Chris Pearson told CBC News he was on his boat with his friend Jason when their kids came running over to tell them a girl was floating in the water.

"It was super windy and white-cappy on the lake. [Jason] was able to have a better vantage point and was able to see the young girl's sandals floating in the water in between the waves," Pearson said.

"And all of a sudden, instantly, we all dropped everything we had cellphones, glasses, everything we had in our hands."

As the pair jumped into action to reach the girl, they saw another man — the girl's father — jump into the water and paddle against the wind to get there, holding his daughter above the waves.

"Eventually, we got out there. We grabbed the baby from him, and Jason and I passed her back and forth until we got back to the beach, which is about 40 feet out from the sand," Pearson said.

"We laid her  down on the wet sand, and instantly Jason started doing compressions and mouth-to-mouth, and I think he did that for about five minutes."

Finally, Pearson said the young girl started coughing up water and seaweed before she began crying.

He said the incident was rattling but credited his and Jason's kids — seven-year-old Nixen Sherratt, eight-year-old Cooper Pearson, and 10-year-old Cole Pearson — with noticing the girl and alerting them right away.

"If it wasn't for those kids of ours, that little girl would have been another 50 yards down the lake, and nobody from shore would have been able to help her. No boats were on the water because it was so windy," he said.

"If it wasn't for those kids, this would be a different story."