A Simi Valley woman who saved a young child from drowning was honored at a ceremony hosted by the Ventura County Fire Department. Puopolo was not aware Madelyn would go swimming, although she did know how to swim. There was an adult supervising Madelyn and her friend while they were in the pool.
However, what happened next is unclear; somehow, Madelyn injured herself and ended up floating unconscious in the pool. Meredith speculated that her daughter hit her head while jumping in the pool because she was found with a bump on her head, but nobody saw what actually occurred. When the friend noticed Madelyn floating in the water, she pulled her out and starting calling for help with the supervising adult.
Kirkland, who was gardening in the backyard next door with her husband, heard the cries and asked her husband to help her over the wall to see what she could do. Once Kirkland saw Madelyn, she ordered a bystander to call and immediately began CPR, drawing from multiple training courses she had taken as a part of adopting three foster children. After seven or eight sets of CPR, Madelyn regained consciousness and started screaming, with water pouring out of her lungs.
When they returned to the house, the paramedics had arrived to take Madelyn to the hospital. Although they had met briefly before, the Puopolo and Kirkland families have grown closer as a result of the near-death experience.
While Kirkland was reluctant to be in the limelight, she said she felt obligated to use the opportunity to spread a message to the public. MORE: S. Simi Valley woman's quick action saves drowning girl. Jeremy Childs Ventura. Show Caption.
