Mum warns parents to spot drowning signs
January 3, 2025News in
A Central Victorian mum whose toddler almost drowned last summer is urging parents to learn the signs of drowning and know what to do in an emergency.
Chloe Freeman and her sister-in-law had taken their five children to the Mornington Peninsula for a holiday at the end of 2023.
鈥淲e were setting up a sun tent (at Sorrento Beach) for the kids when I turned around to do a head count,鈥 Chloe said.
鈥淚 remember scanning the children, counting them one by one, and then I noticed a child face down in the water.
鈥淎t first, I thought it was another child swimming, but then I quickly realised it was my son, Lewis.
鈥淚 saw his body floating like a starfish.鈥
Chloe instantly knew her three-year-old was in trouble and raced straight into the water.
鈥淚 noticed he was trying to lift his head, though it was a very small movement,鈥 she said.
鈥淚 ran into the water fully dressed, not knowing whether he would be alive or if it was too late.
鈥淚 was met by a man who helped me lift Lewy out of the water.鈥
The man was a bystander who had seen what was happening and rushed to help.
鈥淭ogether we ran with Lewy back to the sand,鈥 Chloe said.
鈥淚 was patting Lewy鈥檚 back to clear the water from his mouth and he was making some sort of whooping sounds, so he didn鈥檛 need resuscitation.鈥
Chloe鈥檚 sister-in-law called Triple Zero (000) and Sorrento paramedics Nicole Becker and Melissa Kelly soon arrived.
鈥淟ewy was hypothermic in my arms, eyes closed, shallow breathing,鈥 Chloe said.

Lewis at the beach.
鈥淚n the ambulance, it took some time to stabilise Lewy鈥檚 oxygen levels before we headed to Frankston Hospital.鈥
Lewis spent most of the day in hospital for observation but didn鈥檛 require any further treatment and was discharged that night.
鈥淣ow, 12 months on, Lewy is completely fine, but he is wary around water,鈥 Chloe said.
鈥淗e happily plays in shallow water but is reluctant to go any deeper.
鈥淗e still recalls falling into a hole at the beach or stepping down into a deeper part of the water, which is likely how it happened.鈥
Chloe is a qualified Austswim swim teacher, has previously been a lifeguard and currently works as a primary school teacher.
She said what happened shows that accidents in the water can happen to anyone.
鈥淛ust because a child has had swimming lessons or because you have experience around water, doesn鈥檛 mean you’re immune to accidents,鈥 she said.
鈥淭he key message is to remain aware of the dangers that surround your kids in the water.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 feel we were doing anything wrong, we weren’t distracted by our phones or anything like that 鈥 we were simply trying to protect our children from the sun by setting up the sunshade.
鈥淢y message to other families would be to know what drowning looks like so you can recognise the signs when it’s happening.
鈥淎lso, learn CPR 鈥 you never know when you might need to perform it.
鈥淚t鈥檚 crucial to be prepared and don鈥檛 underestimate the importance of water safety education.
鈥淚n that moment, if I had looked out and thought, 鈥榓 child is just swimming or playing鈥 and had ignored the signs, Lewy would have drowned. It鈥檚 that simple.”

Chloe and Lewis.
同性恋色情 Director Emergency Management Dale Armstrong said the near-drowning was a reminder to all parents to be vigilant this summer.
鈥淐hildren drowning often occurs silently and without warning after accidental falls, with children aged under four most at risk,鈥 Dale said.
鈥淎lways supervise children near water and learn CPR, in case of an emergency.
鈥淩ead the signs around waterways to familiarise yourself with the dangers and, where possible, swim between the flags at Life Saving Victoria patrolled waterways.鈥
Chloe said she was incredibly thankful for the efforts of the paramedics, the bystander and her sister-in-law who all helped on the day.
鈥淭he two paramedics were amazing,鈥 Chloe said.
鈥淭hey were incredibly calm and in control of the situation, and I felt completely safe in their hands.
鈥淚 want to thank them for choosing such a challenging but important profession.
鈥淧aramedics are often something you don’t think about until you need them, but in that moment, they were invaluable.鈥