Six-Year-Old Girl Scout Rescues Three-Year-Old Brother From Drowning

When Aferdita and Noel Silverman had friends and family over to swim in their backyard pool the Saturday before Mother’s Day, they got an early summer reminder about pool safety.

Aferdita and another adult were watching her 3-year-old son, Josh, and 6-year-old daughter, Jessica, play on the deck near the pool. When Aferdita ran inside to answer the front door, leaving the other adult to watch the children, Josh dropped a water bottle cap into the pool. Jessica was standing on the pool steps trying to retrieve the cap when Josh jumped into the water. 

Josh did not know how to swim and Jessica quickly swam over to help her brother.

Jessica, a girl scout, had only learned to swim on her own towards the end of last summer. She did not even stop to think before hoisting her small brother up so his head was above the water.

“He climbed on me and then I was holding him up with my hands. My whole body was underwater,” she said.

Kara, their 8-year-old sister, saw the entire incident occur and ran to get her mother.  When Aferdita returned to the backyard, all she could see was the tip of Josh’s head and that Jessica was completely submerged underwater.

Aferdita, a girl scout troop leader, did not hesitate before jumping into the pool, fully clothed and with her cell phone in her pocket.  She quickly pulled the two youngsters out of the water.

“When I jumped in the pool, we didn’t see any bubbles so I was worried that I was going to have to perform CPR, but when I took her out she just started crying,” said Aferdita. “She was amazing because she gave us enough time to get there and kept his head above the water.” 

To the family’s relief, no ambulances were needed and no emergency calls were made. Proud of her daughter’s bravery, the only call Aferdita made that day was to the Girl Scout House on Red Hill Road.

“She will be pinned with a Bonze Cross Girl Scout Award, which is a award for a girl scout who saves someone’s life while endangering her own,” said Aferdita.  “It is a national award and we are proud of her for getting it.”

Although the family was shaken up after the incident occurred, they are thankful that Jessica was able to save the day.

“I will never forget the grip she had on him," said Aferdita.  “It’s pool season, people forget, you think someone is watching them and it takes a second for a horrible thing to happen.”