TUCSON - Before we launched this season's Kristi's Kids, News4 Lifesaver program Pima County had one child drowning, and 1 near drowning, already on the books.

Over the weekend sad news; a 6 year-old girl drowned on the northwest side.

The call went out Sunday around 6pm.

When paramedics from Rural/Metro and Mountain Vista Fire arrived at the community pool in a subdivision near Shannon and Magee, the little girl was out of the pool. Bystanders were performing C.P.R.

"They transported her to obviously University Medical Center," say Anne Marie Braswell a Public Information Officer with Rural/Metro.

The girl was pronounced dead at the hospital.

It's the hardest call, for first responders like Captain Grant Cesarek, a paramedic years experience. He's seen this before.

"In the scenario when you have young kids they probably didn't create the emergency themselves, they were not in the decision process for whatever it was that went on to get them into that emergency."

Prevention is critical. Trying to save a toddler's life is difficult.

"You have to be precise. When you're dealing with somebody that small body weight, small and can be very effected by whatever's going on, we have to be precise."

That includes administering drugs to get the little heart beating again.
a tragic reminder this lifesaver season to follow the A.B.C's of swim safety.

"In the event that you are at a community gathering place like this where you might have multiple adults," says Braswell. "You always want to assign a designated Water Watcher."