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Mom Grateful After 8-Year-Old Daughter's Near-Drowning In Yarmouth

YARMOUTH (CBS) - It's a terrifying memory little Victoria Da Silva and her family would rather forget. "I just remember floating then everything went pitch black," she said.

The eight-year-old blacked out while swimming and ended up face down in the shallow end of the pool at a Yarmouth motel Sunday morning.

Her mother, Carmen, says one minute Victoria was smiling and laughing, the next-things took a frightening turn.

"I said no, no God not my child. You never think that would happen to you. You know one, two minutes more she would be dead," said Carmen.

Luckily Victoria's mom was a pediatrician in Brazil so she knows how to do CPR.

She says she started doing chest compressions and that's when Keri Keifer, a cardiac therapist from Worcester, showed up to help.

When Keifer ran over to the pool Victoria was completely lifeless but after several rounds of CPR compressions she blinked.

Carmen DaSilva says God sent her the best help and her family is very lucky to have Victoria back.

WBZ-TV's Kathy Curran reports

Even though she's only eight years old Victoria realizes how fortunate she is and wants to thank Keri Keifer for what she did.

Because of the actions of strangers Victoria is smiling and a mother still has her youngest child right by her side.

Doctors believe she had a seizure while she was in the pool on Sunday. Victoria is undergoing several tests to try to find out what caused it.

In the meantime her mother said even though Victoria can swim she will be in the pool with her every time she takes a swim.

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