Two parents from Virginia are hugging their son tighter after a near-death experience that changed their lives forever.
Emily and Tyler Carlin were on a vacation weekend four hours from their home in Chesapeake when their 2-year-old, Holden, nearly drowned in a backyard pool.
Emily, 31, posted the details of the nightmare on TikTok (@emilycarlin2) where she said that she and her husband were standing a few feet away from Holden.
The couple had just taken off his floaties in preparation for a nap inside while also talking to their daughter about why she needed to wear hers, even in the shallow end.
Less than two minutes later, the couple realized Holden wasn’t beside them. Seeing her son at the bottom of the pool, Emily ran toward him.
“It was the most terrifying moment of my life,” the mom of three told Newsweek. “My body went cold, and I screamed like I’ve never screamed in my life. In that moment, I truly thought we had lost him.”
Her husband immediately took over, flipping Holden and pounding on his back. Water gushed from his lungs, but he still wasn’t breathing.
They laid him on the ground where Emily’s cousin Randy started CPR. “I was kneeling next to him, watching, waiting for signs of life,” Emily said. “The seconds felt like hours. I remember thinking, ‘This is it; he’s gone. I’ve lost my baby.’ That feeling is something I’ll never forget.”
Then, Holden let out a weak cough. He still wasn’t breathing, but after two more rounds of compressions, Holden started to cry.
“It was the most-beautiful sound I’ve ever heard,” Emily said. “In that moment, I knew we had witnessed a miracle.”
Paramedics arrived at Emily’s uncle’s house, where the family were staying in Springfield, less than half-a-mile from a fire station.
Emergency medical services kept Holden stable during the ride to the nearby hospital, giving him oxygen while trying to keep him awake.
“His little body was so tired,” Emily said. “The entire team treated the situation with urgency and compassion. They couldn’t believe how well he was doing considering what had just happened.”
Holden was admitted to the pediatric ICU for tests. Thankfully, he didn’t have any water in his lungs, broken bones or signs of head trauma.
Although Holden pulled through, the emotional toll continues to linger for his parents.
“It sits so heavy on our hearts,” Emily said. “We replay the moment constantly; how fast it happened, how quiet it was, how close we came to our world as we knew it ending. There’s a lot of guilt … a ton of fear, but there’s also deep gratitude.”
With pool season in full swing, Emily has an urgent message for other parents. “Don’t let your guard down no matter what is happening,” she said. “Drowning is fast and silent. We were right here.”
A friend has set up a GoFundMe page for donations to go toward Holden’s medical expenses and the cost of swim lessons for Emily and Tyler’s children.
Emily said that they will also be purchasing coast guard-approved life jackets and taking a CPS course so they know what to do if an emergency situation arises again.
“If you are a parent, take a CPR course,” Emily said. “And never assume someone else is watching.”
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