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Firefighter jumps into action to save his 1-year-old from drowning, CA video shows

A firefighter jumped into action when his own son jumped into a pool, saving him from drowning, a California firefighter association said. 
A firefighter jumped into action when his own son jumped into a pool, saving him from drowning, a California firefighter association said.  Screengrab from Hemet Firefighters Association' Instagram video

A firefighter jumped into action when his own son jumped into a pool, saving him from drowning, a California firefighter association said.

In a 40-second Ring video posted to Instagram by the Hemet Firefighters Association, the 1-year-old boy can be seen approaching the pool before sitting on the edge and hopping in on Tuesday, May 16.

Within seconds of the boy sinking in the water, a man can be seen coming into frame, jumping to his stomach and pulling the boy from the pool.

“I look over and I can’t find him and I ended (up) seeing him sinking to the bottom of the pool,” Zachary Petite, an engineer paramedic with the Hemet Fire Department, told ABC7 News. “So that’s when I went over there, scooped him out and got him out of the pool.”

Despite the proper safety precautions around the pool, including a gate, the boy found his way into the water when his father’s back was turned for a matter of seconds, according to the association.

“This video is a sobering reminder that a child drowning can happen to anyone at any time in a matter of seconds,” the association said.

Hemet is about 90 miles southeast of Los Angeles.

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This story was originally published May 22, 2023 at 5:51 PM with the headline "Firefighter jumps into action to save his 1-year-old from drowning, CA video shows."

Daniella Segura
McClatchy DC
Daniella Segura is a national real-time reporter with McClatchy. Previously, she’s worked as a multimedia journalist for weekly and daily newspapers in the Los Angeles area. Her work has been recognized by the California News Publishers Association. She is also an alumnus of the University of Southern California and UC Berkeley.
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