Mom prays for 11-year-old son who nearly drowned in pool after jumping 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 has not left her bed.

The mother, who did not want to be identified, says her son is struggling to recover from the near-drowning incident, WTVG reports.

“I just pray every day. I talk to him. I let him know that it’s okay. It wasn’t his fault. He didn’t know any better. He didn’t know,” she said.

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

“He was there having a good time with his favorite cousin. They were playing and talking. They wanted to see each other,” the mother said. “By riding bikes like kids, they snuck away from where they were supposed to be.”

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

The 11-year-old boy, who cannot swim, jumped into the water, his mother says.

“My son knew he shouldn’t do that. He’s one of those kids who asks permission to go outside. Even when riding his bike, he couldn’t go beyond a certain area. He knew that, but he was with his cousin and I wasn’t around to tell him no. So he was doing what kids do,” she said.

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

A neighbor who asked to remain anonymous said she was one of the first people to arrive at the pool after her children told her someone was screaming for help. She and two other people did all they could for the 11-year-old boy before police arrived.

“We were all trying to save the baby,” she said. “The baby was at the bottom, in a fetal position. There were no bubbles or ripples in the water.”

Police say that when they arrived, the pool gate was locked. Officers had to cut the lock before jumping into the pool to rescue the 11-year-old boy. The boy is believed to have been underwater for 10 minutes.

The boy’s mother says she is grateful to everyone who helped him.

“The officer came to the hospital to check on him because he saved him and did CPR. 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 coping with what happened.

“He wanted to pray and he said he didn’t know how to pray. My uncle sat him down, taught him how to pray and he has been praying the same prayer every night before he goes to sleep. He is very worried,” she said.

The mother has not left her son’s hospital bed, where she has been surrounded by friends and family.

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

She says that when the 11-year-old boy recovers, she will give him swimming lessons.

“I’m a mother who wants something better for her son, not all these extra things that they think happened to him. He’s 11 years old and he still has a lot to learn. And believe me, I’m a member of the YMCA and when he gets better, because he will, we’re going to take some swimming lessons,” she said.

Following 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 boy’s family.

The city said an investigation is underway to ensure the security measures in place are as robust as possible.

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