NEED TO KNOW
- Twin sisters Ava and Addison Apostolopoulos, 9, were swimming at the pool of their grandmother’s apartment complex when they noticed an unresponsive young girl in the water
- Ava jumped into the pool and pulled the 4-year-old, who survived, to the surface, the Wixom Police Department said
- Along with maintenance worker Cody Boyette, who administered rescue breaths, the twins were honored with the Police Department Civilian Citation Award
A 4-year-old girl is recovering after being found unresponsive at the bottom of a swimming pool.
Nine-year-old twin sisters Ava and Addison Apostolopoulos and a maintenance worker are being hailed as heroes after saving the young girl amid the incident in Detroit.
Ava and Addison were swimming at the pool of their grandmother’s apartment complex on June 27 when they saw an unresponsive 4-year-old girl in the water, according to the Wixom Police Department and 23ABC News.
“Both girls noticed a young child (4 years old), underwater and not moving. Ava jumped into the pool and pulled the girl to the surface,” authorities said in their post on Facebook.
“Saw a girl at the bottom of the pool not moving. There was stuff coming out of her nose,” Ava told 23ABC News.
Addison went to grab goggles before Ava swam to bring the 4-year-old up to the pool’s surface.
“The girl was then pulled out of the pool by Cody Boyette and he saw that she was not breathing and had blue lips,” Wixom Police added in their statement. “Cody immediately began rescue breathing on the child and was able to get her breathing again.”
The child was then taken to the hospital, according to 23ABC News.
“Without the quick observations and actions of these three individuals it is believed that the child would have perished,” police said.
Ava, Addison and Boyette received the Police Department Civilian Citation Award at the City of Wixom Council meeting on July 22.
The department shared pictures of the three heroes holding onto their awards.
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“We’re just all about helping, we’re aware of our surroundings and taught them the same thing, if you see something, do something,” the girls’ father Jason Apostolopoulos told 23ABC News. “The city of Wixom really honored them, and that was wonderful, and they were really proud of that. It’s really been a wonderful thing for them and our family.”
Ava went on to say she was “proud” a little girl is alive thanks to the actions of her and sister. “I am very happy she’s alive now, and I hope she’s having a good time. And I’m happy,” she added.
Addison told the outlet she felt “happy that we were in the right situation.”
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