Mom praying for son, 11, who nearly drowned in pool after hopping fence with cousin

TOLEDO, Ohio (WTVG/Gray News) - The mother of an 11-year-old boy hospitalized in critical condition after he was found at the bottom of a city pool hasn’t left his bedside.

The mother, who didn’t want to be identified, says her son is fighting to recover from the near-drowning incident, WTVG reports.

“I’m just praying every day. I talk to him. I let him know it’s OK. It wasn’t your fault. He didn’t know any better. He didn’t,” she said.

She says she dropped her son off Monday at her uncle’s house in Toledo, Ohio, to play with his 9-year-old cousin while she went to the doctor.

“He was just over there having a good time with his favorite cousin. They play and talk. They’ve been wanting to see each other,” the mother said. “Riding around being boys, they snuck away from where they were supposed to be.”

She says the boys rode their bikes to Roosevelt Pool at Smith Park. The pool was not open, but the boys climbed the fence to get inside around 5 p.m.

The 11-year-old, who does not know how to swim, jumped in the water, his mother says.

“My son knew not to do that. He’s the type of kid who asks for permission to go outside. Even to ride the bike, he couldn’t go past a certain area. He knew, but he was with his cousin and I’m not around to tell him no. So, he was doing what boys do,” she said.

The 9-year-old ran to get help for his cousin.

A neighbor who asked to remain anonymous says she was one of the first people to get to the pool after her kids told her someone was yelling for help. She and two other people did everything they could for the 11-year-old before police arrived.

“We all attempted to save the baby,” she said. “The baby was at the bottom in the fetal position. No bubbles, no ripples in the water.”

Police say when they arrived, the pool’s gate was locked. Officers had to cut the lock before jumping in the pool to rescue the 11-year-old. It’s believed the boy was underwater for 10 minutes.

The boy’s mother says she’s thankful for everyone who helped him.

“The officer, he comes up to the hospital to check up on him because he saved him and did CPR on him. I thanked him and gave him a hug. He was there for one of the prayers,” she said.

She says the 9-year-old is having a hard time dealing with what happened.

“He wanted to pray, and he said he didn’t know how to do a prayer. My uncle sat him down, taught him to pray, and he’s been saying the same prayer every night before he goes to sleep. He’s really worried,” she said.

The mother hasn’t left her son’s bedside at the hospital, where she has been surrounded by friends and family.

“I’m always in his ear, letting him know I’m not mad at you. It wasn’t your fault. It was an accident,” she said.

She says when the 11-year-old recovers, she will be getting him swimming lessons.

“I’m a parent that wants better for my son, not all of this extra stuff that they think happened. He’s 11 years old. He still has a lot to learn. And trust me, I have a Y membership, and when he recovers, because he will, we’re going to take some swimming lessons,” she said.

After the incident, city leaders decided to close the pool and drain it for the remainder of the season out of respect for the 11-year-old’s family.

The city said an investigation is underway to make sure the safety measures in place are as strong as possible.

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