'An absolute hero': B.C. teen receives award for saving 2-year-old brother’s life

It happened more than a year ago but Yesica Edstrand still remembers the day her daughter saved her two-year-old son from drowning in vivid, frightening detail.

“I remember going inside and I said, ‘G.J, we’ve got to go inside’, and taking his life-jacket off,” Yesica said.

Then she went inside to prepare dinner. Within a matter of seconds, her two-year-old son would be found face-down, motionless in their backyard pool.

“We were looking away for maybe a minute or two,” said Siera, Yesica’s daughter, who was 13 at the time and playing with friends in the pool. “We looked back, and he was just floating.”

Siera quickly swam to her brother’s aid.

“I didn’t really think about it. I just did it,” said Siera, who said she had learned CPR at summer camp.

“I just started slapping his chest on my way out as I was taking him out of the water,” said Siera.

"Then it wasn’t until I finally got out of the water that I laid him down and then I started fully doing it and doing mouth to mouth.”

Her brother, G.J, still laid unresponsive. Yesica then took over.

“I took him in my arms to inside, to the playroom and sat him on my lap and just do it with my hands on the back, on his back, just trying to get the water out, and screaming at him, ‘You’re not going anywhere, I’m not ready to let you go,'” said Yesica, holding back tears.

G.J. finally started showing signs of life, opening his eyes and throwing up water. Paramedic Laurence Darlington arrived moments later.

“She’s an absolute hero,” said Darlington of the quick-thinking Siera. “If she hadn’t acted as quickly, then G.J. might not be here today.”

The toddler would go on to make a full recovery.

On Saturday, Darlington and other North Vancouver paramedics presented Siera and Yesica with the Vital Link Award. Darlington describes the award as recognition to bystanders who play a vital role in a resuscitation event.

“It really goes to show the vital link of doing CPR between the event happening and when we arrive on scene,” said Darlington.

“I’m very grateful for the training I received,” added Siera.

Yesica Endstrand says thinking of the traumatic day brings back a range of emotions, but says the experience has changed her forever.

“For me, just appreciate all these little moments we have with our loved ones,” said Yesica. “And also prepare ourselves in any way we can.”

“Every moment I spend with my mom, my dad, my brother, my sister, I appreciate it that much more,” said Siera. “Because it could be gone any second.”