By Megan Levy
Two young children remain in hospital in a critical condition after they were pulled unconscious from a backyard swimming pool in Sydney's north-west.
The 23-month-old twins - a boy, Robbie, and girl, Charli - were found underwater in the pool of their house on Charbel Place, Kellyville Ridge, just after 7pm on Tuesday.
Neighbours performed CPR on the siblings until police and NSW Ambulance paramedics arrived at the home. Two rescue helicopters landed at a nearby park and were on standby to fly the children to hospital.
The twins were taken to The Children's Hospital at Westmead in separate ambulances with police escorts. Their parents, Fleur and Robert Manago, are at their bedsides.
The twins, pictured last Christmas, were found unconscious in a pool in Kellyville Ridge.Credit: Facebook
A hospital spokeswoman said the children both remained in critical conditions on Wednesday afternoon.
Police from the Hawkesbury Local Area Command are investigating how the children got into the pool. Police said the pool fence appeared to meet regulatory requirements, but an investigation into the incident was under way.
Mr and Mrs Manago also have four older children, who attend schools in the area.
A neighbour, Michelle Skevington, told Channel Seven that she performed CPR on the children in the minutes after they were pulled out of the water.
"We may have saved those children's lives. I'm not sure, I hope like hell we have, but we may have saved their lives," she said.
"We just kept going and going and going until the paramedics arrived."
Another neighbour, Katie Broom, described the Managos as "the most beautiful family you could ever meet".
"I think we're all just a bit shocked at the moment and our hearts just go out to the family, and all we can do is pray for them at this point in time," she said.
Neighbour Elsae Susanto said everyone on the street was shocked and saddened
"They're such lovely neighbours and they're very caring parents. It's really sad," she said.
Friends left messages of support online for the family afterwards. One friend said when she learnt what had happened her "heart just broke for this wonderful family".
The incident occurred just days after another toddler drowned in a backyard swimming pool in Sydney's south-west.
Aria Dunn, aged 20 months, was pulled unconscious from the swimming pool at her family's house on Thunderbolt Drive in Raby just after 4pm on December 11.
Family members and neighbours tried to revive Aria, before NSW Ambulance paramedics took her to Campbelltown Hospital. She was pronounced dead a short time after arrival.
Following Aria's death, acting Superintendent Michael Rochester said the "very tragic" accident should serve as a reminder for others to check the safety of their pool fences.
"It's a timely reminder that you can never be too vigilant with children and swimming pools," he said.
With Georgina Mitchell