Yesterday morning, before checking out of the hotel, Daughter and Little Boy and Beautiful Grandchildren and I went down to the pool. I was not swimming, merely observing and photographing. I went to call DH from the house phone to remind him of something and turned to look back at the pool. Little boy was on his back, under water, struggling and could not get up.
I called to Daughter. She had her two kids in her arms, and was a few feet away. I told DH, "I've gotta go." I walked to the side of the pool, and then jumped in and picked up Little Boy.
He breathed immediately, and didn't even really cough, though he was kind of grayish and his lips were a little blue. A couple had come walking in to the pool area just behind me as I jumped in, and the man came rushing to the side, and picked up little boy and laid him on his side and talked to him. His wife handed me a towel as I got out of the pool. How did I get out of the pool? I don't even remember. The man was talking to Little Boy, who responded clearly and seemed to recover very quickly. DH came in within a few minutes. I thanked the couple profusely. The lady kept handing me towels. We went up to our room. DH went and got the big suitcase out of the car so I could get some dry clothes (I didn't have any clean ones in the overnight bag). While he was gone, I got little boy dressed, and then took him down to the kids' room to play video games.
When he got back, I started to tell him what had happened. And then I started to cry. And cry, and cry, and cry.
I think this is the most frightening thing that's ever happened to me.
When I was a little girl, my little brother fell over in the pool and within minutes my mom had him up. Little brother was a tantrum thrower, so he was used to not breathing (he would hold his breath until he passed out). But I couldn't have been more than five when this happened, and I still remember it very clearly (or as clearly and anyone can remember an event from forty years ago during early childhood). But my mother doesn't remember it at all.
I wonder if I will ever forget this.
Little boy says he will never go swimming in a pool again. I think, next year, though, we will get him swimming lessons.