Bloomfield Township Honors 'Lifesavers' Who Pulled Girl From Pool Tragedy

Sometime today, Stacy and Michael Fox will pause from their typical busy routine and take a moment to celebrate the fortune of good friends with quick instincts. They both know how close this came to being a very different kind of anniversary.

On July 18, 2010, the Bloomfield Hills couple were hosting a small outdoor gathering of family friends on Shallowbrook Drive when their youngest child, 2-year-old Goldie, slipped into the in-ground pool unbeknownst to anyone – except Paul Bhatti, who happened to be walking by and noticed something just below the surface.

The 38-year-old father of three instinctively jumped right in and lifted the motionless toddler to the side of the pool. Stacy Fox, certified in CPR, said she immediately started trying to get Goldie to breathe while others called 911. Bloomfield Township Police Officer Eric Pernie was first on the scene and saw Fox holding her daugher, Chief Kirt Bowden said.

With the girl cold to touch and turning blue, Bowden said Pernie didn't hesitate or wait for paramedics before trying to push the water out. Goldie expelled a large amount of water and started to breathe when paramedics arrived.

Bhatti received the township's Distinguished Citizen Award and Pernie earned Bloomfield Township Police Department's Lifesaving Award for 2010 for their heroic efforts.

"Thanks to the officer's quick action, the child made a full recovery and a life was saved," Bowden said. "What's particularly gratifying about honoring a citizen is that it's not their job, but sometimes they come forward and actually save a life."

Precautions aren't always enough

The Foxes have an automatic pool cover and strict rules about parents being in the water when children are also swimming, whether it be a party or just a family day around the house, Stacy said.

Two adults were right by the pool area when Goldie fell in, but didn't have a sight line to find her.

"They were right there, but they just lost her in their periphery when she went it," Fox said. "It just shows that it only takes a second for this to happen to anyone at any time."

The Consumer Product Safety Commission and the Home Safety Council reported there were more than 350 child drownshings and non-fatal water incidents between Memorial Day and Labor Day in 2010. More than 200 of the incidents involved children under 15.

From Memorial Day to June 28 this year, the groups reported 48 drowning and 75 near-drowning incidents in 35 states.

The organization concluded that the majority of drwonings occur when an adult is present, but takes their attention from the pool area.

To combat the numbers and raise awareness, the groups launched a coordinated pool safety campaign with a website that offers resources and instructional videos for parents and pool operators.

"Far too many families have been tragically impacted by child drownings this summer," said Kathleen Reilly, Pool Safely Campaign Leader at CPSC. "We want to encourage everyone to remember that simple steps save lives. You never know which safety step will save a life … until it does."

Creating a lifelong bond

Bhatti, of Farmington Hills, insists he was simply in the right place at the right time when he happened to be walking along the pool's edge in the backyard just moments after Goldie slipped in the water.

He thought nothing of jumping in, fully clothed with a cellphone and other valuables in his pockets.

"I see it very clearly still, after all this time," the England native reflected. "It's still a vision that stays with you, a child unresponsive like that."

At first, Stacy Fox said she couldn't understand what Bhatti was doing. When she saw him lift Goldie out of the pool, her instincts kicked in to begin CPR. All were amazed at just how quickly the situation unfolded.

"It proves that you need to be at arm's reach of child near the water at all times. Period," Fox said. "If it wasn't for him we know that we'd be marking a tragedy (Monday)."

Bhatti, who emigrated from Manchester, England in 2007, is vice president of operations for Secure-24, Inc., an information security and management firm based in Southfield.

"We have been friends for years, but this is obviously different now," Fox explained. "When someone saves your child's life, you are bonded forever. We're so thankful."