Happy ending to a poolside emergency

What could have been a tragedy over the weekend turned out to have a

happy ending, thanks to the quick thinking of two Costa Mesa boys,

11-year-old Kenneth Ottens and 12-year-old David Davis.

Kenneth and David were playing at a Halecrest neighborhood pool

when Kenneth noticed that David’s 9-year-old sister, Jessica, was

motionless at the bottom of the pool.

“I just thought that I better go and check on her because she

looked like she wasn’t alive,” Kenneth told the Pilot.

With David’s help, Kenneth pulled Jessica to the side of the pool,

where adults -- including her father, Scott Davis -- performed CPR

and called 911. By the time paramedics arrived, Jessica was conscious

and breathing.

And by Tuesday, she seemed fine as her brother and Kenneth

received the first citizen rescuer awards from the Costa Mesa Fire

Department.

All too often, we hear and read stories without this happy ending.

Already this year, two young children have drowned in pools:

2-year-old Christian Diaz and 3-year-old Taylor Ackroyd.

Officials prescribe some basic steps to help prevent these

heartbreaking misfortunes: Teach children about water safety; erect

barriers, such as fences, pool covers and gates, around pools. But,

they say, nothing replaces adult supervision.

In this case, however, the supervision -- and super-heroics -- of

Kenneth and David came close. We join with the Costa Mesa Fire

Department to offer our thanks and appreciation for their outstanding

efforts. And we note, happily, that Kenneth says he plans to take CPR

classes.

“I’ve always wanted to be a firefighter,” he said.

Fire Chief Jim Ellis and the rest of the department ought to

remember the name Kenneth Ottens, in case he comes looking for a job

in 10 years.