Rescuers Recall Pool Drain Ordeal

Two of the Florida firefighters who helped pull a toddler from a pool drain pipe Monday shared their story of the tense rescue on "The Early Show" Tuesday.

Capt. Jose Marti, of Key Biscayne Fire and Rescue, said the 3-year-old girl's arm was lodged up to the elbow in the pool pipe, blocking their attempts to drain water from the pool and relieve pressure on the pipes.

Marti said the young girl's mother was holding the child's head above chin-level water and trying to keep her calm as fire and rescue teams swarmed around her. Marti said the mother was "a rock" throughout the rescue.

After realizing water pressure wasn't the issue, the rescue workers began tearing up the concrete around the pipe. The girl was eventually freed when firefighters cut the pipe away from the pool drain so she could be taken to the hospital.

Deputy Chief Eric Lang of the Key Biscayne Fire Department said the girl was "in great spirits" when he visited her in the hospital. Since his visit, Lang said she was released from the hospital.

"She's not out of the woods yet," Lang said. "She's got some recovery to do, but I think the good story continues."

Pool drains are the second leading cause of unintentional injury-related death to children aged 14 and under, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

To watch more of the interview with Marti and Lang, click on the video below: