8-year-old girl rescues drowning toddler

AUSTIN, Texas -- An 8-year-old girl visiting her grandparents' pool in Austin, Texas, over the weekend sprang into action to save a toddler's life.

Cayleigh Hunt is an excellent swimmer, KEYE reports. She put her skills to good use when she noticed a 3-year-old girl in trouble.

"I just turned around and she was like trying, just like struggling to come up," Cayleigh said. "I lifted her up from underneath so she could breathe. Then I grabbed onto her and I pushed her over to the steps where she could stand so she could start breathing again."

It was a stark reminder of how quickly a child can begin to drown if they are not under constant supervision. The pool they were swimming in did not have a lifeguard on duty.

"Her parents were surprised, but they were happy at the same time and one of them wanted to hug me," Cayleigh said. "Her mom and her dad kept saying, 'Thank you very much,' and I was like, 'You're welcome!'"

Carrie Hunt, Cayleigh's mother, said she understands how the younger girl's parents must have felt.

"Every parent thinks it would not happen to them until it does," Hunt said. "Things have happened to me as a parent, where you just kind of panic, something happens, you're thankful your child survived it and you just go home and cry."

The American Red Cross said even a few inches of water in a baby pool is enough to drown and reminded parents not to get distracted by their phones.