Mounties are praising a five-year-old Vancouver Island girl for managing to call 911 and provide vital information to a dispatcher after her mother lost consciousness in their backyard.
Rebekah Simpson was effectively left home alone Wednesday with her two younger brothers, ages three and one, after their mom Olena suffered an epileptic seizure at their Langford home.
She wasted no time calling for help and, despite being audibly frightened, was able to cooperate calmly with dispatcher Chelsea Chang and explain the situation.
“My mommy fell down in the backyard and she wouldn’t get up,” Simpson says in a recording of the call, which was released publicly by the RCMP.
Chang later asks if she has tried waking her mother up.
“Yeah, but she wouldn’t wake up… you think you can come here?” Simpson asks.
“We’re coming and we’re going to be coming fast,” Chang replies.
Mother Olena told CTV News she was shocked to learn what had happened after she was revived, because she never taught her daughter how to call 911.
“I guess her grandparents have kind of mentioned it to her. I was actually quite proud,” she said.
The little girl said she was scared and crying, but able to act quickly thanks to advice she received from her grandfather.
“I just knew what to do,” said Simpson, who was presented with a teddy bear and stickers for her efforts.
Mounties say the girl may have prevented a serious tragedy, as there was also a children’s play pool half full of water in the yard. Fortunately, no one was injured and the mother is in good health.
In light of Rebekah's story, Mounties say parents should take the opportunity to teach their children how to dial 911 in the event of an emergency
