ST. LOUIS (KTVI) — Every day in the U.S., an average of 11 people die from unintentional drowning. But thanks to one quick-thinking little girl from St. Louis, Missouri, a tragedy was narrowly avoided.
On May 23, a family vacation in Texas turned into a life-saving moment no one could’ve predicted.
Five-year-old Brooklynn Garth jumped into action when her 3-year-old sister, Callie, slipped back into the pool without her floaties.
“As soon as she jumped in, that’s when Brooklynn went into action. That’s when she knew her sister didn’t have floaties on. She knew she couldn’t swim without them, so she dove in. She didn’t even give her a chance to start screaming for help,” said father Juan Garth.
Callie, described as fearless, had been in the water for hours. Her mom says she’d just taken off her floaties when the unthinkable happened.
Brooklynn’s mother said her heart stopped when Brooklyn told her mother her sister was drowning. All she could think was, how could she let this happen?
But she said her child did an amazing, brave thing.
Despite no formal swim lessons, Brooklynn, who’s always loved the water, reacted on pure instinct. And her heroism didn’t go unnoticed.
Congressman Wesley Bell surprised Brooklynn at a barbershop with a resolution and certificate of heroism. Brooklynn told us she was shocked and proud.
Now Brooklynn is dreaming even bigger: she’s going to the White House. Her parents say swim lessons start next week and Bell plans to keep his promise of a capitol tour.
According to the American Red Cross, 64% of African American children have few to no swimming skills — making water safety and access to swim education critical.