NORTH Queensland lifeguard Sam Green saved a toddler's life yesterday, but the humble hero says it was simply part of her job.

Miss Green, 21, was supervising at the Cairns Esplanade Lagoon yesterday afternoon when she spotted the two-year-old boy floating face down in the waterabout 4pm.

She sprang into action, jumping into the water to grab the child, before pulling him onto the sand where she resuscitated him using CPR and oxygen administered by a fellow lifeguard.

The toddler was taken by ambulance to Cairns Base Hospital for observation. He was in a stable condition and was kept in the pediatric ward for observation overnight.

"We're trained to deal with the worst-case scenario and we're all equipped to do it," she said. "I just happened to be there at the time.

"A big part of it is, we really need parents to be supervising their children.

"(It) was an unfortunate incident."

North Queensland lifeguard supervisor Jay March said the near-tragedy was a timely reminder for people to remain diligent around water.

"It might take something like this to show people how quickly it can happen and it does," he said.

The Lagoon and Cairns' northern beaches are expected to have an influx of visitorsat the weekend, with temperatures tipped to hover around 33 degrees, and Mr March stressed parents must take responsibility for their children.

"In this type of weather we are inundated with kids and we try to emphasise as much as we can that we're not babysitters," he said.

"Parents are responsible for looking after their kids. We do the best we can but if we're looking after someone's kids there are other people we miss. Even though it may be shallow, it doesn't matter."

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