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Family day out almost turned to disaster when a little girl fell between the gap of the ferry and a wharf in just seconds.

The routine ferry stop at Barangaroo instantly turned into a desperate rescue mission when an eight-year-old girl suddenly vanished.

Footage shows passengers disembarking from a ferry which had just docked. (You can watch the video here)

Having already walked off the gangway, the youngster rushed forward to greet a boy coming off the boat when she slipped between the ferry and quay.

Instincts kicked in and quick-thinking relatives and ferry staff rushed to pull her from the water.

After almost 15 frantic seconds, the little girl was luckily rescued. She was shaken, but luckily unhurt.

“We were able to retrieve her quickly, safe, but it could have been much worse,” ferry worker Jean-Pierre Lomard told 7 News.

The accident could have been deadly, reports 7 news.

Transport minister Andrew Constance said the close call was a timely reminder of the importance of safety around boats.

“I feel really sorry for the mum, because ultimately you know it was an accident but it is a timely reminder across the network. Grab your littlie’s hand, make sure you grab it tight.

“The staff were amazing they reacted as quickly as they could. They got their bodies down into the gap and obviously rescued that young girl.”

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Image via 7 news

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  • Mazke sure you hold the child’s hand, not the other way around. If the child is holding his/her hand around yours they can let go. I know a boy who let go of his Mum’s hand and instantly ran straight into the side of a car in a shopping centre car park at a corner. Fortunately driver of the car stopped quickly as he was only moving very slowly at a “T-Junction” and little master only ran into the side of the car. It could have been a lot worse. The Mum quickly assured the driver that her little boy was not hurt and it was not his fault at all. The driver was very shaken up and upset. The Mum got the driver’s phone number and contact him a couple of days later to apologise again, make sure he was OK and reassure him that it was not his fault.

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  • So glad they were quick to rescue her. It’s awful to think it could have turned tragic.

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  • Glad this story has a good end ! It must have been so scary !!

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  • Heart attack panic time. So thankful for quick reactions of bystanders

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  • Great job on a quick rescue and no injuries.

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  • how terrifying! Glad she is ok physically but i think it will take a long time for everyone to recover mentally! Such quick thinking and acting from those people!

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  • Lucky little girl for the quick reactions of the people there. Hope she isn’t too traumatised.

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  • Luckily for the quick thinking of the aunt and other people. How terrifying!!

    Reply

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