Dad's Baywatch kiss saves the day
By Helen Bamford

Baywatch, the popular American TV series featuring sexy beach lifeguards with hot bodies, has proved to be a lifesaver in Cape Town.

A city dad whose toddler son had stopped breathing after falling into the family swimming pool, applied the kiss of life and cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) - and the boy recovered. The dad's qualification? He is an avid Baywatch fan and had seen the likes of Pamela Anderson and David Hasselhof do it many times on TV.

Nolan Rust has never had any formal training in CPR and the kiss of life, but when his two-year-old son Robin stopped breathing after falling into the swimming pool at the family's Table View home earlier this month, he did not hesitated for a second. "Robin had just climbed out the bath with me and after my wife Yolandi dressed him he dashed off to play with his puppy. Moments later she realised she couldn't hear him and went to look for him in the garden." The sight that met her was every parent's worst nightmare. Their only child was lying motionless at the bottom of the swimming pool. "Yolandi dived in and grabbed him. I heard this terrible scream and charged straight through the glass patio door. Yolandi was holding Robin in her arms and he was limp and not breathing."

Rust immediately started CPR while his wife called the emergency services. "I blocked his nose and blew into his mouth until I could feel his ribs rising and air inflating his lungs. Then I pumped on his chest. It took about six or seven attempts and then he started crying and I saw a tiny pulse in his neck." At the time they didn't know exactly how long Robin had been under the water, but they estimate it was about three to four minutes.

The emergency services and Skymed helicopter were on the scene within minutes, but by then Robin had stabilised. He was airlifted to hospital where he stayed overnight but was pronounced 100% fit. Skymed paramedic Andre Oliphant said many more lives could be saved if people had a basic knowledge of CPR. "Most people don't know the first thing about it and it's so vital to start CPR as quickly as possible to prevent brain damage." He said every minute counted for the heart to start beating again. Even though the emergency services were on the scene incredibly quickly, those minutes could mean the difference between life or death.

Now Wayne Smith, deputy director of emergency medical services, plans to start basic CPR courses for parents. "We're very uncomfortable with pool safety in Cape Town. We often fly over the city and many pools don't have nets or fences even though they are required to by law." Details of the courses would be announced soon, he said.