Two nurses working at Cimla Hospital in Neath interrupted their attendance at a wedding in Bridgend to help save the life of a toddler found in a pond at Bryngarw Country Park.
Immediate action at wedding
The incident took place on 4 July when guests at Bryngarw House were alerted to shouting in the adjacent country park. Nurses Kelsey Pirie and Emma Brown, who were among the wedding party, left the celebrations, removed their shoes and ran to the pond area where a rescuer had already pulled a three-year-old boy from the water.
Both women — adult care nurses with no previous experience of paediatric resuscitation — found the child unresponsive and without a detectable pulse. They immediately began life-saving measures until paramedics and a Wales Air Ambulance team arrived.
“Somebody started screaming for help and so we ran towards them, kicking off our shoes on the way, without really knowing what was happening,”
The nurses report performing chest compressions and rescue breaths for about five minutes. According to them, the boy began breathing before handover to the ambulance crew.
Emergency response and aftermath
By the time the child was stabilised the scene had attracted multiple emergency units, including ambulance crews and the air ambulance. After transferring care to the paramedics, both nurses returned to the wedding. Guests, including the bride, had observed the commotion from the bridal suite.
- Location: Bryngarw Country Park, Bridgend
- Date: 4 July
- Personnel involved: two Cimla Hospital nurses, a rescuer on scene, ambulance teams, Wales Air Ambulance
- Immediate outcome: boy began breathing after approximately five minutes of CPR and was handed to paramedics
| Event | Timing |
|---|---|
| Alert at wedding | Evening, guests alerted by shouting |
| Rescue from pond | Rescuer pulled boy from water |
| CPR by nurses | Approximately five minutes |
| Ambulance handover | On arrival of emergency crews |
This incident underlines the value of prompt bystander intervention and basic life support skills. While the nurses involved specialise in adult care, their willingness to act and apply CPR until specialist crews arrived was decisive in the early stages of the child’s recovery.
Local families visiting parks are reminded of water safety around ponds and lakes, and the importance of calling emergency services immediately if a child is found in difficulty. The quick co‑ordination between passers-by, medically trained guests and emergency services demonstrates the benefits of rapid, calm action in life-threatening situations.
