A firefighter was on hand to revive a lizard with CPR after the reptile found drowning in a swimming pool in New South Wales, Australia, as temperatures topped 34°C.
It was gathered that the lizard may have been attempting to climb out of the pool when it fell into the skimmer box – which is used to drag floating debris like leaves from the water’s surface.
The creature has since been named ‘Lucky’.
Gordon said: ‘On Saturday one our off-duty firefighters was asked to attend a neighbourhood pool where a drowning had occurred.
‘Upon arriving at the scene, a youngster was laying unconscious and not breathing after being found unresponsive in a pool skimmer box by some children after failing to “scale” from the pool.’
The firefighter administered CPR to the lizard using one finger for more than 10 minutes before it reacted.
Firefighters said: ‘Things weren’t looking good for the little fella but, soon after, an occasional “gasping breath” was noticed. ‘From previous experience our firefighters know this is not the time to stop so CPR was continued. ‘Then, miraculously, “Lucky” the lizard started to breathe on his own.’
The lizard eventually rolled back onto its stomach and ‘within half an hour, with a little sunshine, was back to chasing insects’.
