PHOENIX — A potentially tragic incident ends with a lifesaving outcome for a 4-year-old girl, thanks to the actions of the lifeguards and aquatics staff at a Phoenix pool.
Their training played a pivotal role in saving the child’s life.
“When whistles went off, we automatically knew we needed to go into our action plan,” said Desmi Cordell, a lifeguard at Cortez Pool in Phoenix.
Cordell reflected on tense moments that played out on Memorial Day.
>> Download the 12News app for the latest local breaking news straight to your phone.
“We knew that we needed to help the girl, and we knew that when we got her it was go time,” she said.
A 4-year-old girl was spotted unconscious in the water by lifeguards, who immediately initiated rescue breaths and CPR.
“It was time to do our training... we were ready for it,” said Cordell. “We were prepared and we did just that."
Their quick response and training played a pivotal role in saving that little girl’s life.
“It’s an instinct… it was a reaction,” said Chief Mike Duran of the Phoenix Fire Department. “They relied upon the training that they received as lifeguards, and they performed."
Duran says firefighters train for this scenario and it’s one that stays with them on every single call.
For these lifeguards, it’s something that will stay with them for the rest of their life, something they should be proud of.
“They followed every step that they were trained and performed to do so,” said Duran. “These folks are heroes for the actions that they performed."
The amazing work of lifeguards like Desmi were recognized at a special ceremony, where they were honored.
“It feels really good,” she said. “We just did our job… it’s an amazing feeling being able to know that we all have confidence in what we can do."
They are confident in knowing that they can save a life, and not just that they can, but that they did.
“It’s a feeling you can’t really explain to be honest,” said Cordell. “…you think about it, but you don’t realize it, until people like you come and just show us how special we are, and how much we actually do our job and how good we are at that.”
"We can thank them enough,” said Duran. “They gave this family a second chance."
“…and that is just an overwhelming happy feeling,” said Cordell.
Up to Speed
Catch up on the latest news and stories on the 12 News YouTube channel. Subscribe today.
>> Live, local, breaking. Download the 12News app
Watch 12News+ for free
You can now watch 12News content anytime, anywhere thanks to the 12News+ app!
The free 12News+ app from 12News lets users stream live events — including daily newscasts like "Today in AZ" and "12 News" and our daily lifestyle program, "Arizona Midday"—on Roku and Amazon Fire TV.
12News+ showcases live video throughout the day for breaking news, local news, weather and even an occasional moment of Zen showcasing breathtaking sights from across Arizona.
Users can also watch on-demand videos of top stories, local politics, I-Team investigations, Arizona-specific features and vintage videos from the 12News archives.
Roku: Add the channel from the Roku store or by searching for "12 News KPNX."
Amazon Fire TV: Search for "12 News KPNX" to find the free 12News+ app to add to your account, or have the 12News+ app delivered directly to your Amazon Fire TV through Amazon.com or the Amazon app.
More ways to get 12News
On your phone: Download the 12News app for the latest local breaking news straight to your phone.
On your streaming device: Download 12News+ to your streaming device
The free 12News+ app from 12News lets users stream live events — including daily newscasts like "Today in AZ" and "12 News" and our daily lifestyle program, "Arizona Midday"—on Roku and Amazon Fire TV.
12News+ showcases live video throughout the day for breaking news, local news, weather and even an occasional moment of Zen showcasing breathtaking sights from across Arizona.