Heroes saved Waikiki baby's life

Four St John Ambulance paramedics and their support team were hailed as heroes last week when they were reunited with the baby boy they saved from drowning.

Waikiki mother-of-two Kiralee Fletcher said she lost sight of 18-month-old Jax for a matter of minutes while he was playing in the backyard before she found him face-up in the family swimming pool on July 19.

Ms Fletcher said support from Belmont-based St John Ambulance communications officer Lisa Richardson, who provided a step-by-step guide to CPR over the phone, was instrumental in saving the boy's life.

She said paramedic teams Steve Munday and Dr Kelvin Gray, Mark Weavers and Paul Bishop arrived within minutes, saving Jax's life.

"One minute Jax was there and the next minute he was gone," Ms Fletcher said.

"I saw his blue T-shirt in the water and just screamed.

"My partner is trained in first aid, but Lisa helped him to remember all of the steps - all I could think was that I didn't want to plan a funeral for my little boy."

Mr Munday said he was convinced Jax would die when he arrived at the home to find the baby lifeless.

He said Jax's heart had stopped and he was floppy when paramedics took over CPR.

They worked for nine minutes before transferring him to Rockingham General Hospital, where he was placed in an induced coma.

"On the way to the house, we were preparing ourselves for the worst. If Jax died, it would have been the worst thing that had happened in my 17 years as a paramedic. It's always much harder when babies are involved," Mr Munday said.

Ms Richardson said staying calm was vital. Ms Fletcher said she did not see Jax for four minutes while he was playing outside.

She discovered later the family dog had dug a hole between the perimeter fence and the pool.

"The whole experience was a real eye-opener," Ms Fletcher said.

"I would encourage any parents to make sure they have up-to-date first aid training."