3 Year Old Boy Near-Drowning

[DandyDon]

Great news about Charlie! And great to hear about the developing programs. Might consider naming it for Charlie in some way. Could help perpetuate it even after you two leave someday? Regardless, good on y'all for following thru to do what you can to help others. :medal:

 

[NOVIZWHIZ]

great news to hear this has turned out so well - hope the improvement continues - amazing what children can go thru and ...something about their chemistry makes them survivors.

Amazing what you see from some of these parents - my 3 yr old grand-daughter is already involved in swimming lessons.

I was diving in a black water river a few years ago near a place frequented by swimmers and tubers...about 10 ft down working the bottom when I look over and there's about a 8-10 year old girl lying in the fetal position on the bottom, I can still see her hair kind of waving in the current - amazing I could even see her at all...I grabbed her and hammered my power inflator, spit my reg and broke the surface screaming for help before my head even cleared the water- a guy in a small boat was right there and he literally jerked her out of my arms - I remember seeing her eyes - they were wide open, as they pulled her into the boat I heard her cough and then she started throwing up, but quickly caught her breath and started coughing and crying - dam miracle if I ever saw one... I was shaking and crying like a baby... she and her brother and parents were tubing and she fell off the inner tube - no PFD - no idea how to swim. We insisted that they call the EMS to at least come and check her out - the parents were reluctant to do that....all the father cared about was screaming at the brother for not "watching his sister"....

 

[fisheater]

She and her brother and parents were tubing and she fell off the inner tube - no PFD - no idea how to swim. We insisted that they call the EMS to at least come and check her out - the parents were reluctant to do that....all the father cared about was screaming at the brother for not "watching his sister"....

Some people just shouldn't be allowed to reproduce.

 

[frankc420]

We insisted that they call the EMS to at least come and check her out - the parents were reluctant to do that....all the father cared about was screaming at the brother for not "watching his sister"....

Oh boy, if that was me, the person that just saved their daughter and having to hear that BS, I would have told him to **** and focus on his daughter. Then when she was OK, he could focus on why he was blaming his son for his sisters near drowning. I would most likely then proceed to tell the guy how much of an idiot he was and that if it was anyones fault it was his and his wifes. Then I would most likely proceed to get in a fight with the idiot because he would come at me like a spider monkey.

 

[DandyDon]

We insisted that they call the EMS to at least come and check her out - the parents were reluctant to do that....all the father cared about was screaming at the brother for not "watching his sister"....

Good on that follow thru, too. Even tho you'd remarkably saved the girl, relapse was still possible. This story amazed me: ‘Dry drowning’ claims 10-year-old’s life - Health - MSNBC.com altho the news story was flawed. http://www.snopes.com/medical/disease/drydrowning.asp

 

[NOVIZWHIZ]

well, in all the courses i've been thru, they stress that it's real easy to get a kid back - but then they can be sitting there eating ice cream - apparently fine and then crash again - once you get an adult going - almost impossible - they'll "stay"....I dunno - I think the little girl was more in shock, when the guy jerked her out of my arms, that and her seeing this monstrosity with the mask and regulator and all the gear hanging off all over me - that must have triggered something - we never got to CPR.

 

[Standingbear56]

Hi Everyone,
Finally read through this post today. In over 40 years working in Emergency Medical Services, I can count on one hand with fingers left over on the number of children who have been through what Charlie did and survived intact. In most cases, when CPR is done for over 30 minutes, IF the person survives, there is generally dramatic brain damage.
Your experience with Charlie's parents was unfortunately typical. When any child gets hurt, parents become very protective, and all to often treat rescuers as "the enemy" and will fight them with everything they have. This has, in many incidents, caused further injury to the child, and in some cases has led to the child dying. The only thing going on in the parent's mind is that they are trying to protect their child from further harm, and they don't realize that they are doing the very thing they are trying to protect the child from.
Both of you are to be congratulated. Charlie is now forever a part of you both, and you both are forever a part of him. This is what keeps so many of us going in this business. When you can actually see that someone is alive, because of YOU! There is nothing else that even comes close - although diving can be a real distant second.
G-D bless you both, as well as the total team players who Charlie through it all!
Safe Diving,
George

 

[DandyDon]

I'll say it again: They were brave to fight the parents to save the boy in a foreign country. At least in the US we have Good Sam laws. They may well have simply followed their "what's right" instincts, but it took guts! Sometimes it does to do the right thing under pressure.

 

[Standingbear56]

Amen!!!