An off-duty Singapore Police Force officer saved and successfully resuscitated a three-year-old toddler he spotted by chance submerged at the bottom of a swimming pool.

Details of the incident were shared by the force in a release on June 1, 2021.

Out at hotel pool with friends

The officer, Sergeant Al Asyraf Bin Azman, was out with his friends that day for a swim at a hotel.

The ground response force officer from Nanyang Neighbourhood Police Centre in Jurong West was dipping his legs in the water when he spotted a pink object beneath the waters’ surface.

The object was visibly still for seven to 10 seconds.

Curious that the object remained submerged, he decided to have a closer look.

Upon inspecting the object, Al Asyraf was shocked to see a motionless toddler in her pink swimsuit at the bottom of the pool.

Al Asyraf said: “As I swam closer and saw the arms and legs coming out from the pink object, I was shocked and immediately dived in to pull her out.”

Girl's father rushed over

When the girl's father saw Al Asyraf bringing up the motionless child from the pool, he immediately rushed over.

He then took the child from Al Asyraf and placed the child down on a poolside chair to try and revive her.

Performed CPR

Al Asyraf immediately administered cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on the toddler.

The toddler managed to regain consciousness after a while and threw up water and started crying until she fell asleep.

“I was worried as she was unconscious but I observed that there were signs of life. So we kept on trying to wake her up to get the water out of her system till the ambulance arrived,” Al Asyraf said.

The toddler’s mother approached Al Asyraf after the ordeal and thanked him for his quick actions before heading off into the ambulance that brought the child to the hospital.

Awarded SCDF Lifesaver Award

For his quick-thinking actions and rescue, Al Asyraf was awarded the Singapore Civil Defence Force’s Community Lifesaver Award.

The police officer said he hopes that the award can inspire others to do the same when they encounter similar situations.

He also shared that his job as a police officer has prepared him well in keeping calm and composed when dealing with life-threatening situations.

“My policing work and training has definitely helped me to be composed in dire situations and enabled me to think clearly and quickly on what to do during such emergencies,” Al Asyraf said.

Top photos via SPF & Unsplash