ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. – The family of a 2-year-old girl said she is showing some response after being found floating in a retention pond in St. Augustine, but remains in medically-induced coma.
According to the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office, around 2:45 p.m., 2-year-old Dixie Wallace was found floating in the pond near State Road 16 and Kenton Morrison Road.
Wallace was visiting a relative with other family and friends when she was discovered missing, according to officials.
Thomas O'Sickey, who claims he pulled his niece from the pond, described the terrible ordeal.
"She was not breathing, not responding at all. I jumped in, grabbed her, pulled her up here. We did CPR right here. She was spitting up food, water, all kinds of stuff...in her body, in her lungs. Whatever she had inside of her."
When SJCFR arrived on scene, deputies were performing CPR on the toddler and SJCFR rescue crews took over and were able to regain a pulse.
Wallace was transported to Wolfson Children's Hospital in critical condition.
"I'm really hoping that she pulls out. I'm pretty positive that she's going to be doing good because she's strong, " O'Sickey said.
"When I couldn't find her, she was in the house playing with her toys and all of a sudden, she was gone, " said Debra O'Sickey, Wallace's Grandmother.
"If it hadn't been for my son, pulling her out of that retention pond--I don't know how long she would have been in there. I would never have even guessed about looking in the retention pond."
"They did an x-ray of her lungs. Her lungs look clear, they look good. She's in a medically induced coma right now where she's sleeping. That's what the doctors want," O'Sickey said.
John Harrell with the Department of Children and Families said this serves as an important reminder for parents and guardians to never take their eyes off their children.
"If you have a child, it's your responsibility to know where they are. Make sure you put child proof locks on doors and keep them away from water to prevent this from happening again," Harrell said.
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