When someone experiences a life-changing event, they immediately become an advocate for that cause.
…like Lindsey is for adoption. Or Natalie, for Pertussis vaccinations.
I experienced enough of a scare which motivates me to promote water safety, and inspired the article I wrote for Today’s Mama.
Last week, the girls and I went on vacation. Well, it was what the locals call a “staycation”. The next best thing to Disneyland is staying at a hotel with a pool, and keeping no time schedule.
The first day, after getting checked in to the hotel, calling dibs on beds, and unpacking our suitcases into the dressers (I don’t ever remember doing that as a kid, but Ad does it!), we headed to the pool to cool off.
With C8 in my arms and Ad hanging onto my shoulders, we emerged into the water and started our afternoon of play.
”Motorboat”, “Marco Polo”, and blowing bubbles soon lost their luster, so we decided to play catch with the water balls we had brought. I placed C8 on the top step of the pool where the water reached her stomach, sitting down. Ad sat next to her and I stepped back into the pool about 2 feet away, ready to be whipped in the face with water-absorbed balls. Success! Only these girls don’t have that great of aim. They were flying everywhere – mostly landing within reach of me.
One did happen to fly over my head, and landed behind me. Amidst the girls’ cheering and clapping at their successful throw, I turned around to grab it. When I turned back around to face the girls, C8 was gone. Then I noticed her blond braid, floating on top of the water directly in front of the pool steps.
Panic set in when I realized I couldn’t just reach over and pull my helpless baby to safety! I had to literally swim (a couple of strokes) in order to reach her. I didn’t know what I was going to encounter. My mind was racing and visions of me blowing into a lifeless body kept plaguing my mind during those few seconds that felt like hours. Would I need to scream for help? Was there even a phone nearby to dial 911? Could I remember how to administer CPR for which I certified back in high school?
Finally, I reached for her arm and pulled my frightened, helpless baby from the water. Waterlogged and wide-eyed, she gasped. Then coughed. Then tried to cry, which was interrupted by more coughing, then gagging, and finally just crying. We rocked back and forth on the lounge chair, soaking wet, her little arms wrapped so tightly around my neck and mine locked around her small, trembling body, so grateful to be holding her rather than what could have been.
We did get “back on the horse” once she calmed down. However, I probably don’t need to describe what the closeness of my proximity to her will be in a pool from now on!
{ 16 comments… read them below or add one }
My oldest totally fell in a pool when he was about 18 months old. We were playing at a friends house and they were outside. The pool was gated but one of the older kids had opened the gate to retrieve a lost toy. My son went in. I was like 100 months pregnant and I went running and fell down luckily my friend hurdled over me and jumped in to save him. It was the scariest thing ever. My friend cried and cried and thought I would never speak to her again. (we have since moved and we still are great friends) It was terrifying. But lesson learned for sure!
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What a scary experience! I am so glad C8 is ok. I read your article at Today’s Mama–nicely done and well written. Here is another website with lots of great parenting tips about water: http://www.aap.org/healthtopics/watersafety.cfm. AAP is the American Academy of Pediatricians, people who love children and advocate for them daily. Parents can search for all kinds of helpful information on this site.
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So glad this ended on a positive note. I forced all of my kids into private swim lessons last year because I am a poor swimmer and have experienced near-drownings twice. The thing with kids and water is you think that there is going to be a big splash or a lot of thrashing around, but it happens so silently! So glad that Cate is OK (and Mom, too!).
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That is so scary. I have very few memories from when I was a young child, but I distinctly remember one of when I almost drowned in a ward member’s pool. Very scary.
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I am SO glad everyone is safe! It’s amazing how true that whole “life flashing before your eyes” sort of thing is. Once we were in St. George with friends and the kids were swimming in an indoor pool. I was by the outdoor pool with my girlfriend while the boys (i.e. our husbands) were inside with the kids. I walked in to check on everyone and saw Lauren, then maybe 4) slowly walking toward the deep end in the pool with the water right at her hairline. I dove in and grabbed her. I am so glad I came in at the right time! My friend had turned his back for only a second and she had quickly lost her footing on that steep slope toward deeper water! I still have flashbacks!
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Oh Camille, this made me cry. I’m so glad this had a happy ending. So scary. I’m glad you shared so we can all be reminded to be extra careful.
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Thanks everyone! I’m glad it turned out for the positive as well, but still sooo scary!
Nicole – thank you for that resource! I thought of you immediately afterwards, and how many near-drownings you’ve probably seen come through the ER!
Emily – talk about flashbacks! I’ve been plagued with nightmares ever since, and poor C8 woke up from a nap the next day, crying, arms thrashing, yelling, “MOM! I can’t! I can’t!” We’ve “talked” about what had happened during that moment and she was obviously very affected by it.
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This is the sort of thing that haunts me. I’m too scared to even take my two girls to the pool by myself. I’m a sissy that way. But I worry about being outnumbered or getting distracted. It happens so quickly and in your situation you were totally right there and paying attention and she still slipped under the water. So scary. I think I may have nightmares tonight.
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Camille that is so scary! I am glad that she is ok.
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this is awful. my husband is deathly afraid of water, and may or may not have passed this on to my daughter. she is never going to be able to swim, I am sure of it.
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This story has a happy ending. I’m so happy it does! Too scary!
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My mom’s little brother died in their back yard pool. She was so crazy nervous around water and I am too. It terrifies me, I have a hard time having fun around water with kids. But try not to act weird but I am a crazy lady watching them!
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I am so glad everything turned out and she was able to get back in eventually. That is really such a scary scary experience. I’ve heard of two stories recently of little ones in pools. It scares me that we have a pool at my aunt and uncle’s right through the gate of my mom and dad’s. So so so glad everything was okay.
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So scary. So glad things are OK.
That is the stuff nightmares of made of.
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That is scary!! I’m so glad she is okay. I’ve been certified with CPR and first aid a few times, but I always wonder if I’ll be able to do it if something happens to my children. I sure hope so. Glad you didn’t need to find out!
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I just read an article recently about how quietly people drown. Very informative and I plan on posting it on my blog this week. We had an 8th grader tragically drown Memorial Day weekend. I am so glad your dd is OK. After reading the article I did I am much more vigilant with my boys in the water.
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