MURRYSVILLE, Pa. — Police are calling a 6-year-old boy a hero after he helped save his brother’s life.
The boy’s 9-month-old brother was found without a pulse in the water of the family’s fish tank on Tuesday afternoon. The 6-year-old pulled the baby out.
“He was able to tell us exactly what he did, he was able to tell us he pulled his brother out.. and that was big for our investigation,” said Murrysville Police Det. Sgt. Tom Kusinsky. “He was demonstrative about what he did to help his brother.”
The 9-month-old boy remains in serious condition at Children’s Hospital in Lawrenceville. Police say they are optimistic about his recovery, but the next 72 hours are critical.
They were called to the family’s home on Sardis Road in Murrysville just after 4 p.m. on Tuesday.
“The medics started resuscitation efforts, they were able to get pulses back and at that point it was decided they would transport that child to Children’s Hospital in Pittsburgh,” Kusinsky said.
Investigators say the boy — at 9 months old — was already walking and somehow managed to climb into the filled fish tank on the floor — despite safety measures to try to keep him out.
“It was a large fish tank, probably about 55 gallons, the tank was in the living room on the floor,” Kusinsky said. “There was measures taken by the parents to stop the child from being able to access the tank, there was plastic fences up, but somehow the child defeated those.”
Police aren’t sure how long the baby was in the water, but said his mom and brother were checking on him frequently before the accident happened.
“I think you never truly understand how fast your kids can move in a situation and you have to be attentive and around them at every point in time and they move fast — and this child did...moved real fast,” Kusinsky said.
Police say at this point they’re investigating this is an accident — but say it’s in the early stages of their investigation.
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