Alertness and speed saved the life of the little girl who was playing just metres off a coastal area in the city of Alexandroupoli, northern Greece, as none of the nearby bathers noticed that she had drifted and lost consciousness.
Twenty year old lifeguard Athanasia Nouni was the woman who carried the girl onshore and gave first aid, after herself and a colleague noticed her floating from her tower on the organised ‘Dolphin’ beach.
Athanasia found the two year old floating face down, just five metres out. ‘I ran as fast as I could, took her in my arms, brought her out and started two finger CPR’.
The girl came to after two rounds of resuscitation and she was rushed to hospital for further treatment.
Her mum and grandma were frantically looking for her and were grateful to see that she was safe. Her condition is described as stable and she remains in hospital for monitoring.
The young woman who saved the girl has been a licensed lifeguard since 18 and is studying Education at Aristoteleion University of Thessaloniki.
She was recently called to face yet another serious incident, but unfortunately the outcome was not the same, as the 75 year old man suffered cardiac arrest and passed away.
Her advice is to never underestimate the sea and one’s strength, when swimming.
