I've landed twice to rescue drowning children victims in the 25 yrs with Lakewood. This one was unusual because when we arrived over the call, all we saw were a circle of adults doing nothing for this child as she lay on the cement by the pool. The adults were running out to the front yard in the cul de sac waving us to help. It was pitiful. We knew rescue was not even close. We could see them from above rolling code but we were there. I kept getting lower and lower contemplating a landing in the streets cul de sac. There were no cars or people and it was quiet and devoid of obstacles. It would be easy to take off again after I dropped Kevin off. And so we discussed it quickly and both made the decision to land. It was the right decision. I took off and went back to Lakewoods Sheriff Station to wait for my deputy. The watch commander thought Kevin dove out of the helicopter into the pool and did the rescue. I laughed later when I found that out. But I can see coming to a conclusion like that if all your doing is aurally listening to the whole thing go down. Here below is an article I recently found and posted for posterity.
Immediately, Zaborniak and pilot Monica McIntyre landed at a nearby intersection on Harvest Avenue--a rare feat for a surveillance helicopter. Although an ambulance had been called to the scene, it was still precious minutes away, and Zaborniak sprang from the helicopter to help the child.
"She was blue and I just started breathing for her," Zaborniak said, referring to the mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. "The nearest emergency unit was still two minutes away. When you're talking about a drowning victim, two minutes is a long time."
On Tuesday, three days after Rose toppled into the pool, the girl was preparing to return home to San Pedro from Long Beach Memorial Medical Center. Before she left though, Zaborniak stopped by the hospital to visit.
At first, her parents and doctors feared the worst. Although she had survived the drowning, they worried that she may have suffered severe brain damage. But on Tuesday, Dr. Jeremy Garrett said the girl had managed a stunning, full recovery, and said Zaborniak's quick action was instrumental.
"I feel blessed, very lucky," Joe Ruiz said as he thanked the deputy.
Although Saturday's near-fatal drowning was an event that neither Joe and Julie Ruiz, nor Zaborniak are likely to forget, that's not the case for Rose. The youngster cannot recall anything that occurred after the dunking.
At the brief reunion in the medical center's pediatric wing, Rose clung shyly to her mother as Zaborniak said hello and held a stuffed animal as a puppet.
Zaborniak, 31, said that he wasn't bothered at all by her not knowing who he was and downplayed his role in her recovery.
"That's a strong kid," he said. "She's a fighter, and that's why she's going home."
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