daughter from drowning.

Young Katrina Wilson, from Cleveland, Ohio, is visiting her grandparents in Happy Valley Road, Pembroke with her mother Sylvia. But her vacation nearly turned to tragedy on Saturday when she got out of her depth in Tobacco Bay, St George's.

Mrs. Wilson said Katrina, who was at a picnic, got into trouble when the water suddenly got deeper.

"She was just learning to swim and I guess she panicked when she dropped down. She was with an eight-year-old boy and she grabbed his leg.

"He called out and said: `She's got my leg, she's drowning'. People swam out and everyone helped to pull her in to shore.

"I'm very grateful. Everyone pitched in and did a wonderful job.'' Police who arrived with oxygen were helped by a visiting doctor who was at the scene.

Katrina was taken to the hospital's intensive care unit but then moved to a general ward, where her condition was described as "satisfactory''.

Mrs. Inez Lashley, Katrina's grandmother, also paid tribute to the rescuers.

"If they hadn't come out she might have been drowned.''