Sunday, September 02, 2007

Praise God


We are praising God tonight! Our evening could have been so different. After second service, we decided to go the Rec pool for one last fling before the season ends.

They were out of children's life vests. We got in and commenced playing. At one point I took Stacia and decided we'd go see if we could make one of the bigger life vests work. I reached up to grab the vest, turned around, and she was gone. The life guards that were not in the tower were dealing with a little one who had picked up a mesquite thorn. I said, "Where's my baby?" when I couldn't find her.

I scanned the pool deck and she wasn't there. I noticed Mike swimming rather purposefully and FAST from the deep end. I continued to look for Stacia. Mike came up for breath and yelled, "grab the baby," and went back down. He kept this up from the deep end to the shallow end. I ran for the pool. One of the young men (a lifeguard) ran for the pool. Stacia was under water. We both jumped in. The lifeguard reached her a second before I did. She was spurting water and shaken. After he determined she was o.k. the lifeguard collapsed on the side of the pool. He said, "I'll just lay her a minute if that's o.k." It was his first save. I was very thankful and proud of him.

God was so gracious. Mike is the human hero of this story - and the lifeguard. IF Mike hadn't seen Stacia slip into the pool, he wouldn't have raised the alarm and the guard and I would have taken longer to find her. She had been treading water the whole time - but her head was under water.
There were some frustrating things about this - when the shock eased up. The lifeguard in the tower SAT THERE AND WATCHED THE WHOLE THING! She watched Mike swim across the pool, yelling to grab the baby at each breath, she watched the lifeguard and I run for the pool and jump in....she watched.

There were SEVERAL adults an arm's length away from Stacia - they all watched too. I even heard one lady say "Look at that baby treading water," and not one of them moved to help - even with Mike and I yelling "grab the baby" and the lifeguard and I sprinting across the deck.
I pray that if I'm ever in a similar situation where a child needs help, that I will think quicker on my feet. One of them DID give me a child's sized life vest to wear (see photo above).
Here are a couple more photos of our last day of the season at the pool...it WILL be open tomorrow, but my family seriously seems to be phobic of big crowds.

22 comments:

Debbie said...

Oh, De'Etta, how terribly scary for all of you! Praise God you all got to her in time and I would agree that someone should have been able to act sooner! Gosh, what were they thinking. Good for that young lifeguard. He won't soon forget this experience.

I love the water, but I also have a high respect for it. I had a near drowing experience myself when I was about five. I teenager jumped in and pulled me out, but I can still remember the feelings of going under bobbing up and catching just a bit of air, but going down again. It was very frightening.

Michelle said...

De'Etta and Mike, thanking God that Stacia is alive and well tonight. I wonder if the lifeguard sitting in the tower was inexperienced, or possibly in a fright/flight state of mind and froze in the panic situation?

Renee said...

How incredibly scarey. So glad that Stacia is safe despite that one lifeguard. I can't believe that folks would just stand there and watch Stacia obviously not being able to swim. Why is it that folks won't help those in need esp when it's obvious

Anonymous said...

Praising God Stacia is safe!

Praying for Destinee.

Unknown said...

Thank God Stacia was okay!
Laura

Yvonne said...

How scary! I've seen this happen at our local pool. I think it's a combination of shock and trying to determine "what's going on." Everything goes into slow motion. The girl in tower...was she blowing her whistle or doing anything? She may have been assigned to watch a certain zone and have been unable to leave her post...especially since another guard was closer? Praise God that Mike saw her and that all is well!

Lisa in Jax said...

Praise God she's o.k.! What a blessing that Mike and that lifeguard were watching. This is my worst fear.

Remember that not everyone reacts appropriately during an emergency. I'm sure that they wish they had had the forethought to do the right thing.

DeEtta @ Courageous Joy said...

We're still very aware of the blessing of health this a.m.

Yes, we all react differently in emergencies....and we recognize that...but it was amazing to me.

As for the guard in the tower, Yvonne? She WAS the closest guard the first time Mike yelled and the first time he came up for breth and yelled.....the other guard and I were ACROSS the the pool deck area. She was the one that was supposed to be watching the zone....No, no whistle...nothing....I really think she simpy froze in fright when the moment arrived. It was obviusly scary for the guards as well as other parents and certainly for us.

Anonymous said...

Thank heavens she's okay. *whew!*

Jodi said...

So glad she is ok now. Hopefully by next pool season this will be a distant memory.

It was even scarier reading the full account of what happened. I'm surprised and irritated that every parent there didn't jump in to help.

Cynthia said...

It is hard to know how one will react in the "moment." I would be writing a letter to the pool administration if it were me. A lifeguard who can't even think to blow the whistle and get everyone's attention when there is an obvious emergency situation has *no* business being on duty. Hopefully she was scared enough to realize that she can't handle that type of situation and will quit on her own. If not, the administration needs to know, imo.

Cynthia said...

I'm SO glad she's ok! I always worry about taking the little ones.

Anonymous said...

Sis:

PTL for HIS protection until help arived for Stacia. God is so good!

Good thing Dad/I weren't there because we probably would have spoken up to the sitting lifeguard and would not have been one bit gracious to that lifeguard, It is a hard job, but one has to be able to act to meet the situation and then colapse when it is all over.

PTL for Mike and the one young lifeguard.

l/p

Kathy in WA said...

Oh my goodness, De'Etta! My family all gathered to hear the story of Stacia and her water adventure. Praise God she is okay! I would be so upset with the life guard and those other adults. How big is the pool? It sounds quite large if it took Mike a while to swim over from the deep end.

Taking deep breaths here and hugging my little ones tight.

Duckabush Blog

all in the family said...

Oh My DeEtta! My heart sank when I read your post but was rejoicing that she was okay. We had a similar situation happen to us and our little one in our neighborhood pool. Picked him up and he was holding his breath the whole time. That is so scary though.

I would definately say something. I don't know if I could have left not saying anything. WHY? Because the lifeguards are there and trained to provide a protection and are PAID to do their job. If it weren't for Mike and the other lifeguard it might have been a different story. Kind of like a police officer sitting there watching a crime happen and not do anything about it. KWIM? So thankful that she is okay.

Beth SHS

Gilda said...

(((((DeEtta)))),
Praising God with you for his provision and protection. Kudos to Mike for being so watchful. I am so sorry you all had to go through this. It is so scary. I am so glad she is okay. My kids had watch the "I like Daddy" video earlier and were very worried for Stacia when we read this post. Praying thanksgivings to our Lord and protector.

Jen said...

Wow, So glad she is ok! That is one of my big fears every time we go to pool! This post makes me appreciate the YMCA guards that blow the whistle every 5 seconds (or so it seems!)Guess there's something to be said for overzealous guards, better than guards that freeze!

Anonymous said...

I'm speechless except to say Praise God you all saw her in time! That's why I'm even too terrified to take my brood to the pool! Mine probably won't learn to swim until they're teenagers...

Jen in Az.

Angi said...

OH, I know how you felt! I am sooooo glad everything turned out OK. It's scary to think of how that day could have ended up, isn't it! I posted on my website how I lost my son at the beach, I was sure he had drowned - was missing for 20 minutes - did not know where he was.

DeEtta @ Courageous Joy said...

Thanks all for your understanding, care, and concern.

Emily said...

Oh my goodness!!!! I had no idea that had happened! Praising God with you that she was not hurt!!! Also, thank the good Lors that Mike saw her slide in!!

Something similar like that happened to Landon when he was about her age. It's amazing how fast and quick they are.

DeEtta @ Courageous Joy said...

Way, way to fast, Emily.