Parents' Close Calls Caught On Film Are Important Reminders Of Poolside Dangers
June 25, 2018
These parents thought they'd successfully safeguarded their pools for their toddlers. One family even purchased an "unclimbable" pool ladder. But after security cameras revealed some terrifyingly close calls, these parents are sending out a pool ladder warning so others don't make the same mistake.
The sun and warm weather bring along lots of opportunities for fun. But parents need to be mindful of Summertime dangers, as well. And two families are speaking out about the lessons they've learned in the hopes it will help other parents.
Pool Ladder Warning -- 2 Toddlers Nearly Drown
Tanah Zuniga and Karly James are sisters. And they both got the scare of their lives during a visit at Tanah's new house in Fort Worth, Texas.
RELATED: Olympian Bode Miller Promotes Water Safety After 19-Month-Old Drowns
While Karly and Tanah were catching up in the kitchen, Karly's 2-year-old son, Jalen, and Tanah's 17-month-old son, Elijah, somehow managed to unlock the back door.
Despite not knowing how to swim, the two boys made a beeline straight for the above ground pool.
Credit: Youtube/WFAA NewsJalen climbed right up the pool ladder, followed immediately by little Elijah. Both boys plunged into the pool and while Jaden was able to stay afloat, Elijah sunk right to the bottom.
The harrowing minutes were captured by security cameras. You can see 2-year-old Jalen trying to rescue his baby cousin without success. He gets out of the water and heads back inside to alert his mom.
And when the two sisters saw Jalen, soaking wet, they knew Elijah was in trouble.
Tanah raced outside. Finding her son floating lifeless in the pool had to have been sheer torture.
The terrified mom scooped her son's limp body out of the water, realizing they needed to act quickly.
"When we pulled him out of the water, he was already gone. He was completely blue. His lips were white. He was not moving. He was not breathing," Karly recalled. "All I knew was to give him air."
Tanah called 911 while Karly started CPR, a training she'd received years ago. Elijah had been in the water for around five minutes, so it was going to take a miracle.
Pool Ladder Warning Follows Miraculous Recovery
As Karly performed CPR, the two sisters prayed to God for help.
"I begged God to bring my baby back because he had no life in him," Tannah said.
RELATED: 2-Year-Old Twins Were Facedown In The Pool, Then 6-year-Old Jumps In
And then, something amazing happened. Elijah started coughing up water!
"I was here, and I was the hands and the feet on earth, but God used me and my two-year-old to save him. There is no other explanation," Karly said.
But Elijah's mom and aunt know exactly who they have to thank for their happy ending.
"God brought my baby back. I truly believe that," Tanah said.
And the two sisters realize the terrifying ordeal could easily happen to any other parent. It's something they don't want to happen.
"It was the worst experience of my life. You never think it's going to happen to you," Tanah said.
WATCH: A Miracle After 2 Toddlers Climb Pool Ladder
And that's why these brave moms are sharing their story. They hope the pool ladder warning may save other parents from living through such a nightmare.
Pool Ladder Warning -- Toddler Scales 'Unclimbable' Ladder
Another family in Massachusetts is sharing a similar message. Thankfully, their experience wasn't as traumatic as Tanah's. But the video of their close call carries with it an important message, too.
Credit: Facebook/WPED NewsKeith Wyman and his wife thought they'd successfully safeguarded their aboveground pool after purchasing a special pool ladder. This ladder included a safety gate advertised to make the structure "unclimbable."
However, while out in the backyard with his 2-year-old son, Cody, Keith soon learned he couldn't count on this product to keep his son safe.
Keith made sure to film the incident so he could warn others. As he kept a close eye, his determined little boy went right up to the "unclimbable" ladder and scaled it with relative ease.
Had his parents not been there to stop him, there's no question Cody would have wound up in the pool. And that's why Keith and his wife wanted to share this important pool ladder warning.
RELATED: Mom Shares Story Of Baby’s Near Drowning As Water Safety Reminder
While it's a good idea to have security measures like locked gates, it's important not to rely on them to do the job of keeping your child safe.
Here are some tips to help prevent accidental pool drownings:
Water Safety Tips For Parents
- Learn CPR
- Never leave a child unsupervised in or near a pool
- Teach children to swim as soon as possible
- Fence pools in and include self-closing and self-latching gates
- Install an alarm on any house doors leading to the pool
- Install a rigid, motorized safety cover to go over the pool when it’s not in use
- Remove ladders from above ground pools when it’s not in use
- Remove toys after swimming so they don’t tempt little ones back to the pool
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: Tragic Deaths Are Important Reminders Of Just How Deadly Rip Currents Can Be
Please be sure to share this story with all the parents and grandparents you know as a reminder of the importance of pool safety!
h/t: ABC News / The New York Post
Today's Devotional
A Prayer for a Thankful Heart through a Disappointing Season - Your Daily Prayer - November 22
I pray you will open your eyes to God today while he holds your hand and heart through all the hard stuff surrounding you. Let’s choose thankfulness. It absolutely does help, dear friend.
Today's Devotional
A Prayer for a Thankful Heart through a Disappointing Season - Your Daily Prayer - November 22
I pray you will open your eyes to God today while he holds your hand and heart through all the hard stuff surrounding you. Let’s choose thankfulness. It absolutely does help, dear friend.
Past Stories
- School in Arkansas Mourns the Loss of Their Beloved Emotional Support Dog Abby
- 93-Year-Old Has Made Sure To Attend Every High School Football Game Since 1946
- Texas Mom Doesn't Remember Delivering Triplets After Rare Complication After Birth
- United Airlines Pilot Buys Pizza For 155 Passengers After They Make An Unexpected Stop
- Teenager With Down Syndrome Enjoys Playing Kickball After Parents Organize Neighborhood Game
- Woman in Shock After Finding Winning Lottery Ticket At the Bottom of Her Purse
- Australian Couple Walks Into Their Bedroom To Find the Cutest Koala
- 5 Boys and Their Father Were Saved By Good Samaritan After Explosion
- Daughter of WWII Soldier Finally Learns What Happened To Him, 80 Years Later
- Sisters Scream With Joy Watching Their 4-Year-Old Sister Take Her First Steps
- Her Mom Put a Message in a Bottle As a Child, 26 Years Later Her Classmate Found It
- This Missouri School Was Renamed After Their Much Loved and Dedicated Custodian
- Michael Strahan's Daughter is Now Cancer Free and Has Taught Him All About Perseverance
- These Two Newlyweds Found Love in Their Late 90s, After Meeting At Their Retirement Home
- Sisters Who Were Adopted By Separate Families Nearly 40 Years Ago Reunite After DNA Tests
- Oldest Living Person in the US Passes Away at 115, After a Long and Faithful Life
- At Just 20 and 22 Years Old, These Two Sisters From Minnesota Saved Their Family Farm
- After Over 450 Days in a Shelter, Boone and Rellie Find Their Forever Home, Together
- Sweet Kitten Named Coraline Loses Both Her Eyes, but Inspires Many with Her Spirit
- Donny Osmond Sees the 'End of the Tunnel' Coming After Performing for Over 6 Decades
- An Iguana Hitches a Ride on a Garbage Truck in Tennessee, Now Trying to Find Its Owner
- 6-Year-Old Starts 'Poop Scooping' Business to Help Animals and Adopt One of His Own
- Bride's Dad Drops During Father-Daughter Dance, but Things Lined up Perfectly to Save His Life
- Young North Carolina Father Risked His Life To Save a Couple and Dog From a Sinking Truck
- UPS Driver Jumps into Action As He Spots Elderly Woman on the Ground & Says It Was All God
- Rescuer Braces for the Worst After Spotting Kitten on the Side of the Road, Then Sees a Paw Move
- AJ Griffin Gives Up High-Paying Career with NBA to Follow God
- These Former Conjoined Twins Finally Go Home After Their First Birthday
- Teenager From Iowa Uses His Flying Skills to Help Hurricane Helene Victims
- Son Saves For 9 Months and Surprises Mom By Paying Off Her Mortgage
- Woman's Home is Surrounded By 100 Raccoons, and They Aren't Leaving Anytime Soon
- Dog Saves Her Owner's Life By Sitting in the Middle of the Road
- Widower Shares the Last Thing His Wife Told Their Son Before She Passed Away From Cancer
- A Nurse Saved Her Life 35 Years Ago, Now, She is Surprising Her With a Visit
- These Twin Sisters Have An Important Message To Share On Their 102nd Birthday
- This Brave 5-Year-Old Saved Her Mother's Life By Calling 911
- 79-Year-Old Broke Her Ankle After Scattering Her Mom's Ashes, Then Strangers Save the Day
- Dad Travels Through Mud and Debris to Walk His Daughter Down the Aisle
- Owner's Trip to the Vet with Unwell Dog Results in the Craziest X-Ray
- After Getting Lost in Yellowstone, This Precious Cat Made His Way Back Home To California
- Mom's Funny Response To Daughter's Dirty Sock On The Floor Goes Viral & Ends Up Doing Good
- A Kidnapped Boy Is Found After 70 Years and Reunited With His Family
- This Puppy Was Found With a Note That Read 'Help Me,' Now He's Looking For a New Home
- Excited Mom Couldn't Wait to See Son's Back to School Pictures, but Funny Results Make Her LOL
- When This Police Officer Pulled Her Over, He Changed Her Life Forever
- She Just Met Her Vietnam Veteran Father After 50 Years, Now He is Walking Her Down the Aisle
- Fearless Father Waits on Porch to Catch the Stranger Peeking in His Daughter's Window
- This 5th Grade Teacher Eats Lunch In the Cafeteria Every Day
- Amy Grant Has a New Perspective After Losing Her 'Superpower' in Bike Accident
- 'God Did It' Says 18-Year-Old After Waking Up From a Coma Following a Crash
Top Music Videos
CCM Magazine Matthew West | '18 Summers' (acoustic)
The Statler Brothers 'Til the Storm Passes By' The Statler Brothers Live Performance
CCM Magazine Oak Ridge Boys Singer William Lee Golden Shares How Group Has Navigated Recent Loss and Grief
Anne Wilson Anne Wilson Inspires with Powerful 'Stand' Lyric Video Performance
CCM Magazine Josh Baldwin | 'Thank You Jesus' (acoustic)
Blogs
At GodTube, you’ll find daily inspirational videos to lift your spirits and encourage you in your walk with God. Popular videos include worship music from your favorite Christian artists, cute videos with adorable kids and animals, hilarious videos from Christian comedians, user-uploaded videos, and clean viral videos to brighten your day.