What seemed like a fun day in the sun turned life-threatening for one New Jersey family.
Although this terrifying incident happened to Adam Lisberg and his two young daughters a few years ago — it’s still relevant today, even more so with summer right around the corner.
A popular swimsuit among many young girls — Lisberg’s two daughters were excited to wear their mermaid swimsuits to cool off in the family’s inflatable pool on a hot June day.
Lisberg’s two daughters, 5 and 7 at the time, were no strangers to these innocent-looking swimsuits as their father said they’ve worn similar ones in the past.
“The girls love mermaids — always have,” the dad of three told Today.com
To give a visual, the swimsuit has a bikini top with a long tail-like bottom that restricts children’s feet.
“We knew that with it blocking their feet it’s harder to kick or walk — and they knew that — but we figured (the pool) is two feet deep. Even if they sit down they can get themselves up.”
Although the pool’s water was only up to the children’s legs — the unimaginable happened to one of Lisberg’s little girls.
After hearing the girls playing outside, as Lisberg was watching from inside the house, where his other child was suddenly rummaging around the kitchen — suddenly his older daughter said the younger one “wasn’t moving.”
“I’m thinking, ‘This is not how it’s supposed to end. It’s a wonderful, happy Sunday afternoon, the girls are having so much fun in the pool, it’s not supposed to end like this,’” Lisberg told Today.com
“But when I got over to her, her eyes were wide, she wasn’t moving, and at first I really thought she was dead.”
After trying to perform rudimentary CPR on his daughter, paramedics and police eventually arrived and brought the young girl to the hospital.
“Ruby explained that Annabelle had been under the water and she saw her there and was trying to talk to Annabelle, but she wasn’t responding,” Lisberg said.
“She got her sister completely out of the water. It was incredible.”
The little girl ended up being fine but Lisberg has a warning for all parents: “I’m hoping that the parents who see this are scared … I want people to know that these mermaid tail swimsuits can kill,” he said.
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