11-Year-Old Girl Saves Lady From Drowning In A Florida Swimming Pool

An eleven-year-old girl has become a local superstar after she saved the life of a woman who had fallen in to a Florida swimming pool. The incident happened at the swimming pool of Cape Shores condominiums where the lady, Kathy McElmurray had gone for a swim, reports USA Today. According to eyewitnesses, Kathy was floating on a foam noodle in the swimming pool when she suddenly fell in to the water and started drowning. The mishap happened at the deep end of the pool.

When Kathy woke up in a hospital, she had no memory of the incident. It seems, she had blacked out moments before she fell into the swimming pool and started drowning. But Kathy was told that she owes her life to the efforts of a brave 11-year-old girl, Maya DiGiacomo who showed the presence of mind to reach out to Kathy who was at the far end of the swimming pool, when she sensed danger.

On the day of the incident, Maya was playing at the shallow end of the swimming pool, bang opposite to where Kathy was. While Maya did not see Kathy fall in to the water, she was alerted by others near the pool who said that there was someone at the bottom of the swimming pool. At the time, she was the only person in the vicinity who could swim. Maya initially thought there was an animal at the bottom but quickly realized that it was a person and that she needed immediate help. She swiftly paddled towards the deep end of the swimming pool, dived under and grabbed a motionless Kathy by her arm and pulled her to the surface. She somehow managed to get Kathy to the edge of the swimming pool where other people were standing by to help her.

Kathy was admitted to a local hospital and has since then fully recovered. She had her husband were at a loss for words to thank Maya.

Meanwhile, the city of Cape Canaveral has formally recognized the heroic deed of Maya DiGiacomo and she received a proclamation signed by Mayor Rocky Randels. Maya, who was very humble about her act downplayed it by saying, “People are really light in the water, so it was really, really easy.”

Both the people involved in the Florida swimming pool mishap were not natives. Maya was coming from Colorado, and Kathy was from Michigan. Kathy’s husband had called in their three daughters to Brevard after Kathy was hospitalized. “They said it was a miracle, so I believe it is,” Kathy said. “It wasn’t my time to go. My kids said I have nine lives. But I don’t know,” Kathy added after she spoke to the Florida Today.

[Image Andrew Ford/Florida Today]