The father of a 1-year-old girl and a Merced County Sheriff’s deputy are being hailed as heroes for their rescue of a drowning toddler.

The 1-year-old girl from Delhi was taken to the Children’s Hospital in Madera and is expected to make a complete recovery.

The toddler fell into a canal in the 9000 block of Merced Avenue Monday around 5 p.m. She was able to wander away from the house because a front gate had been left opened.

Panic set in for the Delhi family when they could not immediately find the girl. The father, Jaun Jiminez, scoured the nearby area and made the horrific discovery of seeing his daughter floating face down in the canal. He quickly jumped into the canal and pulled his daughter out.

The sheriff’s office had been notified and Deputy Preston Sanchez arrived at the scene mere minutes after the call was dispatched. When he arrived he found the girl struggling to breath and turning colors, said sheriff spokesman Deputy Tom MacKenzie.

Sanchez removed the child’s wet clothing. He turned her onto her stomach and while cradling her in his arms he patted her back until she spit up a large quantity of water, MacKenzie said.

The girl was transported by ambulance to Emanuel Medical Center and then transferred to the Madera hospital.

To contact Sabra Stafford, e-mail sstafford@turlockjournal.com or call 634-9141 ext. 2002.