A six-year-old started drowning in a pool in Florida while the adult with him stood by until the boy was saved by a passing stranger.
Security cameras captured the heart-wrenching moments as Oscar struggled in the pool in Fort Lauderdale, with his cousin desperately shouting for help.
It wasn’t until Roque Ivan Ocampo, who was passing by, heard the screams and ran to help that Oscar was rescued from the bottom of the pool.
‘He doesn’t move at all, that’s why I thought maybe, “He’s dead,” because he wasn’t moving,’ he told NBC News.
The child fell into the pool after losing his balance on a pool float and stayed submerged for nearly two minutes while his cousin anxiously circled the pool’s edge.
‘There was no time to think, just to act,’ Ocampo told ABC News.
The footage showed Ocampo quickly take his shoes off and jump into the water.
He pulled Oscar to the surface with the help of a bystander and began an attempt to resuscitate the child.
Surveillance footage caught six-year-old Oscar drowning in a pool in Florida while his cousin stood by and cried for help
Passerby Ivan Ocampo heard the cries of Oscar’s cousin as the boy struggled in the water and dove into the pool to rescue him
The boy and Ocampo reunited the next day, he told Oscar: ‘You’re very strong and I’m so proud of you’
‘I started doing CPR. The kid wasn’t breathing, but I keep doing it and doing it until he started breathing again,’ Ocampo said.
Oscar’s family begun rushing over to the boy and called 911.
Bodycam footage showed that arriving officers took over and could be heard asking if Oscar could squeeze their hand.
The boy was rushed to hospital, but is expected to make a full recovery.
“It takes a lot of courage to do what he did, and I believe Oscar’s situation would have been far worse if he hadn’t jumped in, pulled him out, and performed CPR immediately,” said Jamie Bodine, a Fort Lauderdale Police Officer who arrived at the scene.
‘I don’t think we thanked him enough that day,’ Bodine said.
The boy and Ocampo reunited the next day, he told Oscar: ‘You’re very strong and I’m so proud of you.’
‘It was so special, to be honest, wonderful moment for me,’ Ocampo said. ‘This is the best gift I ever had.’
Ocampo pulled Oscar to the surface with the help of a bystander and began an attempt to resuscitate the child
Bodycam footage showed that arriving officers took over and could be heard asking if Oscar could squeeze their hand
‘I’m glad I was in the right moment to save the kid,’ he added.
The incident stirred the internet as people slammed the boy’s cousin for standing by and for his family to leave the pair alone.
‘Where were the parents? Why were children left alone near pool without adult supervision? Are parents being charged with neglect? Something is wrong with this scenario,’ one commenter said.
‘Wow, what are two kids that don’t know how to swim doing anywhere near a pool. Not a single ounce of common sense with the parents. Absolute horrible parenting,’ another wrote.
One said: ‘What a hero That’s a real lifeguard! For that ‘cousin’ why do you have a pool when you can’t swim? Why are you even standing there? You have a stick throw it away & scream Use it!’
