EXCLUSIVE: Dallas Teen Rescued From Pool Speaks
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DALLAS (CBS11) -A 13-year-old girl who nearly drowned Monday at the public pool in the Samuell Grand Park says she's thankful to be alive.
"I thought I was going to die," said Shaneria Arnold.
The teen was celebrating the Fourth of July with family when she slipped underwater in the deep end of the pool.
She says she tried waving for help from below.
"It took a long time for me to give up," she said.
Witnesses say there were at least two lifeguards on duty, but it was Steven Hall, a man enjoying the pool with his own kids, who first spotted her floating unconscious.
"She was just helpless at the bottom of the pool," said Hall.
He dove down to grab her.
"Literally grab her up with my fingers between her straps on her shirt and pull her up and swim with just one arm," he recalled. "In my mind, I just asked the good Lord to give me that extra strength."
He struggled to the surface and, out of breath, tried lifting her out of the water.
"When I screamed, 'Help!" then the lifeguards reacted," he said.
The teen's family watched lifeguards resuscitate her.
"Very scary. We was all emotional crying," said her aunt, Anita Arnold.
Dallas Police Corporal Larry Bankston was watching, too.
"I personally believe she would have died, if he hadn't pull her out of the water in time," said Bankston, who posted a picture of Hall on Facebook, calling him a hero.
The post has been shared more than 5,000 times.
Hall says getting such high praise from police is an honor.
For him to call me a hero, I feel like a hero, because they're like heroes too," said Hall.
Better yet, though, is hearing it from the girl he saved.
"I'm thankful that I lived and I want to thank Steven for helping me," said Shaneria.
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