Mum issues harrowing warning over 'dry drowning' after daughter's horrific swimming pool incident

When Annie Gallagher's five-year-old daughter dipped momentarily under the water of her local swimming pool before coming up coughing, she didn't believe she had any reason to expect anything dangerous had transpired

After all, her child had continued playing in a shallow waters, laughing and joking for the rest of the day, as she went about enjoying the rest of her family's summer day out together.

It wasn't until later that night that the Florida mother-of-three realised that her little girl's life was in danger, after her health took a sudden turn for the worse.

That evening, Annie's daughter suddenly began to complain that she was feeling unwell.

Taking note of her out-of-character behaviour and suspecting something sinister might be going on behind the scenes, she rushed the youngster to her local hospital, where she was immediately assessed.

Annie says her daughter was initially fine after jumping into the water (Jam Press)

The tot underwent both a chest x-ray, and her oxygen readings were taken.

Just minutes later, however, Annie was dealt a gut-wrenching blow - her daughter had almost 'dry-drowned' after inhaling masses of water when she jumped into the pool earlier that day.

Looking back on the incident, real estate developer Annie said of her little girl: "She is and always has been a strong swimmer since she was raised in the water.

"She inhaled water as she jumped in, but she seemed OK and wanted to go back to playing, which she did."

Annie also admitted that she was seconds away from sending her daughter off to bed when the youngster first complained about feeling poorly, but that she suddenly remembered reading about a similar incident online.

"I remembered an article I’d read on Facebook before my daughter was even born about dry drowning," she explained.

Annie thought it best to take her daughter to hospital (Jam Press)

"I called friends for advice, and they tried to ease my concern, but I couldn’t shake the sinking feeling in my gut."

And apparently, doctors immediately praised the terrified for mother for trusting her instincts, later informing the family that, if they'd failed to bring the child in to be examined, that the results could have been 'catastrophic'.

"She had suffered a drowning event. It only takes a teaspoon of water to cause inhalation pneumonia, which she had," Annie revealed.

"She had begun to slowly suffocate as she drowned in her own fluids that were flooding her lungs."

Thankfully for Annie and her family, the ICU's medical team were able to find a treatment that her little girl responded to, with the heartbroken mother claiming that, as soon as she awoke, she'd wanted to continue playing.

"Simply seeing my daughter get out of bed or her wheelchair allowed me to breathe and smile with her," she opened up.

Annie was informed that the incident could have been catastrophic (Jam Press)

"She laughed for the first time in a week, and nothing could have been more beautiful than that moment."

Seven days later, Annie's daughter was discharged from the hospital.

Now, seven years on from the heart-stopping incident, the courageous mum claims she has continued to use her experience to warn fellow parents about the dangers of dry drowning ever since.

Annie - whose daughter is now 12 years old - added: "She is a happy, healthy, smart, empathetic young woman now, and I’m sure we will have other challenges – that’s life.

"I want parents to know these things happen. More than anything, though, as a parent, trust your instincts.

"Mine saved my daughter’s life."