Portage teen's quick thinking saves toddler at pool party

PORTAGE, Ind. (WLS) -- A 13-year-old girl is making Chicago proud and serving as a reminder to pay attention when it comes to water safety after her quick thinking at a pool party in Portage, Ind., saved the life of a little boy.

The simple sound of toddler squeals is a welcome sound Tuesday night. Sunday afternoon, little Luis Bess was playing with other kids on the edge of his aunt's pool during his older cousin's 13th birthday party. Friends and family filled the deck and the yard.

"I went inside to get some cake and he was out here," said Kim Bearss, mother.

That's how quickly things can change for toddlers. In a spilt second, Luis wasn't next to the pool anymore.

"He was under, he was barely moving,' said Anastasia Sednyj, who saved the child.

There were adults just feet away but with rafts in the water and teenage girls nearby, Sednyj sprang into action.

"My first thought was, 'Get him out of the water,'" she said.

"Next thing I knew I heard crying, and I'm like, 'That's my son,'" Bearss said.

By the time mom came out, Luis was out of the water. When Anastasia's mother picked her up from the party she heard how quickly her daughter acted.

Tuesday, the teen and toddler got to play together again - safely, this time, and with a special bond.