Santa Clarita Valley Station Deputy Christine Shaffer is being credited for helping save a 2-year–old girl’s life after responding to an emergency near-drowning call.
On Saturday, August 1, 2015 at approximately 8 p.m., Santa Clarita Sheriff’s Station received a chilling 911 call. A woman caller was on the other line screaming “that a little girl drowned in a pool.”
Saturday had started out as a celebratory day for the Cruz family of Palmdale, but almost ended with tragedy if it were not for the quick thinking actions of Deputy Christine Shaffer.
The young couple and their two children, ages 2 and 4, were attending a joint birthday party for two of their relatives. The festivity was being held at Stonegate Community Pool located at 31830 Diamond Lane, Castaic.
As day turned to dusk, the party goers exited the gated, locked community swimming pool and turned to other activities. Evidently while music played, children jumped in a bounce house, and adults talked with each other, a little two-year-old girl quietly slipped away without anyone’s notice.
Her father had stepped inside the building for just a few minutes to get her older brother some food to eat. Not long after, he said he heard people frantically yelling “that there was a kid in the pool.” He ran outside and to his horror he recognized the lifeless form, it was his daughter.
The father, Freddy Cruz, raced to get in the gated pool but the door was locked and he had no key. With not a moment to spare, he rapidly scaled the 10-foot black iron fence that secured the pool and retrieved his daughter from the water.
When Santa Clarita Sheriff’s Station Deputies Jason Goedecke and Christine Shaffer arrived at the scene, the distraught parents had their small daughter lying on the cement sidewalk. Deputy Shaffer immediately sprang into action and began actively rendering emergency aid to the child while Deputy Goedecke flagged down the fire department and controlled radio traffic.
Shortly after, Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department Park Bureau Deputies Charles Weathers and Matthew Burnett arrived along with the Los Angeles County Fire Department. The Park Bureau deputies assisted in giving the little girl rescue breathes until she was conscious and breathing. She was then airlifted to a local hospital.
Los Angeles Fire Department Captain Long said if Deputy Shaffer “had not gotten to the scene as quick as she did and began treatment, we would probably be looking at a different outcome.”
The 2-year-old girl has since been released from the hospital and has made an amazingly full recovery. She suffered no brain damage as a result of the near drowning.
The Cruz family is filled with heartfelt gratitude to Deputy Shaffer; they thought they were going to lose their daughter.
Mario Luna, an uncle of the child said, “My family members and I are now looking into taking cardiopulmonary resuscitation classes. We realize the importance of them now because you never know when you’re going to need to use it.”
Training Officer Deputy Jeffrey Brito at Santa Clarita Valley Station commended the deputy that saved the little girl’s life and said “That child couldn’t have been in better hands.”
Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station policies the City of Santa Clarita and the unincorporated communities of a portion of the Angeles National Forest, as well as Bouquet Canyon, Canyon County, Castaic, Gorman, Hasley Canyon, Newhall, Neenach, Sand Canyon, Santa Clarita, Saugus, Six Flags Magic Mountain, Sleepy Valley, Southern Oaks, Stevenson Ranch, Sunset Point, Tesoro del Valle, Valencia, Val Verde, West Hills and West Ranch.
Like this:
Like Loading...
Related
Tweet This
Facebook
Digg This
Bookmark
Stumble
RSS
REAL NAMES ONLY: All posters must use their real individual or business name. This applies equally to Twitter account holders who use a nickname.
54 Comments
Hero
Amazing!! ❤️
Awesome!
Nice job.
Great job deputy
What a hero!!! Great job Deputy Christine Schaffer!!!
Kind of makes you think an emergency entrance being needed for community pools in these situations…. Or something
Thank you GOD for people like her!!
Great job!!!!! Sending Hugs!!!
If the deputy saved the girl, shouldn’t it be worded “saved from drowning?” An ‘almost drowning’ implies she was never in danger of drowning…IJS.
Drowning means “to die under water”. You can’t be saved from drowning but you can be saved from “almost drowning”.
Actually, that’s incorrect. Alas, I did some research on this one, and apparently Drowning and “Near Drowning” are separate and correct terms. From patient.info: Drowning is death within 24 hours from suffocation by submersion in a liquid, normally fresh water or sea water.
Near drowning is survival for more than 24 hours (even if temporary) from suffocation by submersion. SO…”Almost Drowning” is incorrect, should have been “saved from near drowning,” or more correctly: “saved from drowning.”
Aaaand…wikipedia states as: “Drowning is defined as respiratory impairment from being in or under a liquid.[1] It is further classified by outcome into: death, ongoing health problems and no ongoing health problems.[1] Using the term near drowning to refer to those who survive is no longer recommended.[1] It occurs more frequently in males and the young.[2]”
GOOD JOB, DEPUTY!
Dulce Cruz Darkman Luna
Good for you girl!!!
She didn’t save my little niece! I did with the CPR I gave her. She was just looking and keeping everybody calm
Keep a better eye on your children! How does a two year old get into a locked pool area??? You people should be more grateful since you cant watch your own children.
Dulce Cruz
That was terrible for you to say what is wrong with you Shannon
Have some respect, accidents happen everyday
Thank god for this deputy saving this little girls life! What a hero!
She’s a HERO
Great work, Deputy Shaffer! And EVERYONE needs to know CPR!
?????
You go girl! You’re a HERO ?
Ahhhhh so proud of you!
Awe that’s my girl :)
Great job to all the first responding deputies that show up to these difficult calls, and great job Deputy Schaffer.
At least there are a few good cops in this country. God bless the good ones.
AWESOME JOB, Deputy Shaffer!
NICE TO SOME NICE NEWS ABOUT THE LASD. NOT ALL BAD NEWS.
You go girl!! <3
Yay
Would love to offer the First Aid & CPR certification for this couple, $30/ea. (Normally $65-$75/ea). Please contact StarCPR at 661-402-1CPR (1277). For anyone else interested, we can schedule an instructor-directed class (minimum of 8 students required and about 8 hours long).Your place our ours,, become a CPR Star! Blended online course with hands on training is also available, for individuals.
Star CPR is an Ameircan Heart Association and American Safety & Health Institute Training Center in Tehachapi Ca.
Praise God! Thank you for your quick thinking and action Deputy Shaffer!!
That is so awesome
Wish they could have credited who actually saved her and performed cpr Darkman Luna
Awesome job! ???
A perfect female role model! Way to go Deputy Shaffer, more young women need to look up to you!
It says helped .. Be grateful
Thank God for the strong woman you’ve become.?
Our home town hero that would probably just say she was “just doing her job”. She is a great deputy to work with.
WTG ???
Atta Girl !
It should read as, a Deputy of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department stationed in Santa Clarita. Not a Santa Clarita Valley Station Deputy.
Good well done Deputy
It can; actually we prefer “SCV Sheriff’s deputy” or simply, “deputy sheriff.”
Check out this near drowning experience!
http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/Teen-Who-Nearly-Died-Three-Years-Ago-Meets-Rescuers-Who-Saved-His-LIfe-305870311.html
So grateful that this had a happy ending!!!! Two year olds are notorious silent ninjas! You must either tether them to you, hold their hand or eyes on them NON-STOP and remain ready to spring into action.
Thank you for your service with honor. You are Inspiring and amazing woman to save the life of a child and to serve everyday in unimaginable situations . God Bless You.
Thank you for your service with honor. You are Inspiring and amazing woman to save the life of a child and to serve everyday in unimaginable situations . God Bless You.
Your awesome ! Say hello to the family. You are truly awesome.
Great job. Keep it up
Great job. Keep it up