Lifeguard saves girl, 12, from drowning in pool

A lifeguard saved a 12-year-old girl from drowning in the swimming pool of the Cebu City Sports Center (CCSC) yesterday.

Ruverlyn Codilla of barangay Day-as, Cebu City was rushed to the nearby St. Vincent’s Hospital  past noon, a few minutes after  swimmers of the Little Milo Olympics finished practicing at the pool.

Doctors later declared Ruverlyn  in stable condition.

The little girl  had accompanied her  elder brother and his six friends for  swimming practice at the CCSC when she suddenly jumped in.

Teenagers  can use the pool for an hourly fee plus the P20 entrance fee of the center.

However, they would only be allowed to enter the swimming pool after a lifeguard would  say it was okay for them to enter the water and start their practice, said Ricky Ballesteros, CCSC manager.

Ballesteros said the little girl perhaps didn’t know  about this rule.

Ruverlyn  jumped into the pool without permission from the lifeguard.

One of their companions, Sherwin Rosal, said Ruverlyn  walked along the pool side going to the center and jumped into  the deeper portion.

Her  brother told her not to go in that area because it was deep. She just suddenly  jumped in, Rosal said in Cebuano.

He said they let her be when they noticed her flapping her  hands in the water, believing  that she knew how to swim.

A lifeguard, however, noticed something was wrong and jumped in to save the little girl.

Her  father, Jeffrey Tampus, rushed to the hospital after he was informed of the incident.

Tampus said  his daughter didn’t ask his permission  to go with her  brother to  the CCSC./Correspondent Chito O. ARagon