Teen Sees Toddler Drowning In Pool, Leaps Over Fence To Save Her

A Marion County teenager was hailed a hero after saving a toddler from drowning in a pool. Not all heroes wear capes, indeed.

13-year-old Haylei McGillis was on an evening stroll when she passed by an apartment complex in Indianapolis, Indiana. She saw a group of children gathered in a courtyard, playing beside a pool. Hung on the gate was a “closed” signage as if a forewarning of the accident that was about to occur.

Haylei took a second glance and the sight of children having fun quickly turned into panic.

There in the middle of the pool, crying for help, was a 3-year-old toddler frantically trying to keep afloat.

Haylei recalls

“I just looked away for a quick second and looked back and I saw the little girl… She was, like, moving her arms then stopped for a second and froze and kept on.”

With no adult or a lifeguard supervising the children, the kids tried to save the toddler on their own by throwing a hose and a floatie to no avail. Haylei immediately went to the rescue, determined to save the child from danger. In her mind during that critical time was a resolute thought,

“She’s not dying on my hands”.

Haylei bravely scaled the fence, jumped into the water and swam the child back to safety.

The child coughed water but was not seriously harmed. If not for Haylei’s quick action, the ending would have been tragic.

Haylei’s mom is so proud of her daughter’s heroic act.

And while swimming proved to be a life-saving skill, it was Haylei’s heart that truly made her a hero – brave and selfless even if there was no crowd to cheer her on.

Haylei’s story has already been featured on local news and has been picked up by various sites and social media platforms.

And people all over the world are commending her bravery.

Amidst all the negativity that flood our newsfeeds everyday, there are still stories like this that inspire us to do good in the world.