I had to drag my son's blue lifeless body from a swimming pool after grave holiday error

The Irish Sun

24-07-2025

A FAMILY gathering took a horrifying turn when a mum had to drag her toddler's "blue" and lifeless body out of a pool when he "drowned".
While her quick actions were able to save his life, she's now raising awareness about the importance of
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Emily Carlin along with her husband and their three kids, had travelled to see family for 4th of July celebrations
Credit: Kennedy Newsand Media
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Holden had his arm bands on for most of the day while playing with his cousins in the pool
Credit: Kennedy Newsand Media
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The afternoon took a horrifying turn when Holden was spotted floating at the bottom of the pool and his parents were forced to perform CPR
Credit: Kennedy Newsand Media
Emily Carlin, 31, along with her husband and their three kids, had travelled to see family for Fourth of July celebrations when the unfortunate event occurred.
The family were sat in the back garden while all the kids played in the
pool
.
Emily said her son Holden had his arm bands on all day long while playing with his cousins, and she took them off once he was done playing.
But the afternoon took her horrifying turn when she realised the two-year-old was no longer sat
next
to her - and spotted him floating at the bottom of the pool.
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Read more on CPR
Screaming, she pulled Holden out but he had turned "blue" and wasn't breathing - she thought he was dead.
Emily's husband, Tyler Carlin, pounded on his son's back causing a "gallon" of water to come out of his mouth, before Emily's cousin started performing
Miraculously after five rounds of CPR they managed to get Holden breathing again by the time the paramedics arrived.
Emily, from Chesapeake, Virginia, US, said: "We had gone to celebrate the Fourth of July, we had a bunch of family around, we had travelled up for the weekend.
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"Everyone had floaties [inflatable arm bands and life jacket] on, everyone was playing with Barbies along the pool.
"We had taken Holden out of the pool, he said he was done and he was eating some chips sitting next to me, and he asked if he could take his floaties off.
My 8-week-old Brodie made a forceful cry - next thing I was giving him CPR to try and save his life
"We were getting ready to give him a nap so I took his floaties off and my daughter came up to me.
"She wanted to get in the pool without her floaties, she's learning to swim and I was telling her no.
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"When I turned around and I was talking to the people at the table, my mum and my husband both said," Where's Holden?'
"I sat up and my heart sank, I knew something was wrong. I ran over to the pool and I saw him. I screamed, I've never screamed so loud.
"His head was at the bottom and his feet were up. I pulled him out and he was completely blue from his stomach up.
I knew at that moment he was dead. He wasn't alive. His eyes were closed, it was very scary
Emily Carlin
"I knew at that moment he was dead. He wasn't alive. His eyes were closed, it was very scary.
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"Everyone came rushing over, it happened so fast. My husband grabbed him from my arms and my aunt was calling 911.
"My husband turned him over and pounded his back. It alarmed me, I didn't want to hurt him anymore. About a gallon of water came out of his mouth.
"I learned later that that saved his lung because if we had started CPR then, that water could have gone into his airways.
"We laid him down and my cousin Randy came over and started doing CPR, he's never done it on a child and he started doing compressions and mouth to mouth.
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"He did it three times and on the third time he heard a cough and some chips came out and then he went back, we lost him.
"The fourth time we heard a little cry, and the fifth time he really cried. It was the sort of a baby cry, I was terrified in the moment but I knew I had my baby back.
"All I could think of was I've lost my baby. He is my youngest, that would have killed me. He came back and right at that moment the paramedics arrived."
'My boy was back'
Holden was rushed to Inova Fairfax Hospital via ambulance, where he was given oxygen and was drifting in and out of sleep.
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Emily said doctors tested Holden for brain damage and broken bones from the CPR, but found that everything was normal.
Doctors reportedly told the parents that if Tyler had not made sure to get the water out of Holden's lungs, the water could have blocked his airways.
A few hours later, Holden was awake and able to communicate with his parents and was discharged the next morning.
Emily said: "We were in the ambulance and they put oxygen in him and monitored him, he kept going in and out of sleep, they said his body was overworked.
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"They had to do exams to see if he had any brain damage from the lack of oxygen, but luckily he was fine, he could squeeze your hand and follow the light.
They said the CPR saved his life by far, that getting the water out was life-saving
Emily Carlin
"He started to talk a little bit more, he was coming back. By 8pm he was playing on the iPad, talking to us, and my boy was back.
"By 11pm that night he was able to breathe on his own. We were able to go home the next morning because he was doing so well.
"They said the CPR saved his life by far, that getting the water out was life-saving.
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"Holden said 'I went in the pool and I wanted to play but I couldn't get out' and my heart sank. I think he wanted to play with the Barbies that were in the pool."
Emily is now planning for Holden to start swimming lessons and for the family to get therapy, while raising awareness about water safety.
Emily said: "I'm very careful with my children at the pool and the beach, my kids have always had floaties.
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Doctors said if if dad Tyler had not made sure to get the water out of Holden's lungs, the water could have blocked his airways
Credit: Kennedy Newsand Media
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Luckily Holden didn't suffer any severe health consequences
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Emily is now planning for Holden to start swimming lessons and for the family to get therapy, while raising awareness about water safety
Credit: Kennedy Newsand Media
"I have a lot of guilt about it. He doesn't know how to swim. It was so quiet, no one heard a splash or anything. There wasn't any music playing.
"We are starting therapy, all of us need it. I'm in the process of starting swimming lessons for him.
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"Kids love water and don't understand the safety around it, they don't get why they wear floaties. It's very important to know CPR."
Emily is now fundraising due to the "overwhelming medical bills" and ongoing care - including therapy, trauma support, and private swimming lessons. To help, you can donate
How to give CPR to an infant
If a baby or child is unresponsive and not breathing normally, call 999 and start CPR straight away...
Check if they are breathing. Look listen and feel for breaths.
If they are not breathing, tell someone to call 999.
Give five rescue breaths.
Give chest compressions.
Give two rescue breaths, continue with cycles of 30 chest compressions and two rescue breaths until help arrives.
How to give rescue breaths for a baby under one year
Ensure the head is in a neutral position and lift the chin.
Take a breath, then cover your baby's mouth and nose with your mouth, making sure it's sealed. If you cannot cover both the mouth and nose at the same time, just seal either with your mouth. If you choose the nose, close the lips to stop air escaping.
Blow a breath steadily into the baby's mouth and nose over one second. It should be sufficient to make the chest visibly rise.
Keeping their head tilted and chin lifted, take your mouth away and watch for the chest to fall as air comes out.
How to do chest compressions in babies less than one year
Do the compressions on the breastbone with the tips of two fingers, not the whole hand or with both hands.
The quality (depth) of chest compressions is very important. If the depth of 4cm cannot be achieved with the tips of two fingers, use the heel of one hand.
Source: British Red Cross and NHS