Coral Springs family meets with rescuers who pulled 2-year-old from sewer and hospital staff – WSVN 7News | Miami News, Weather, Sports

CORAL SPRINGS, FLA. (WSVN) – It was a heartwarming reunion full of tears and gratitude for a Coral Springs couple who got to hug the first responders who saved their two-year-old son from drowning.

The heartbreaking incident happened on April 4 when Jesus Taveras Jr. was found lifeless in a canal behind his family’s home.

The Coral Springs Police and Fire Department responded quickly and rushed to the scene of the accident.

Police body camera video showed Coral Springs Police Officer Hakeem Rainey performing CPR on the toddler.

“Wake up, wake up, wake up,” Rainey is heard saying in the video.

Jesus’ mother, Solange Concepcion, said the child disappeared from the house immediately.

“I just feel like a moment of silence, I walk into the living room and I ask my husband, ‘Where’s the baby?’ “I don’t hear him,” she said. “He said, ‘Oh, but he ran after you.’ I say no!'”

A neighbor found the toddler in the water and performed CPR until Rainey arrived.

“When I started CPR all I could see was my kid on the ground and I was like, ‘Hey, I have to save this kid’s life,'” Rainey said.

Paramedics arrived at the scene shortly after and quickly transported Jesus to Broward Health Coral Springs for immediate medical attention.

The rush to the rescue took a turn for the better. Jesus was able to make a full recovery with no lasting health problems.

On Thursday, Solange personally thanked first responders while holding Jesus.

“I want to thank each and every one of you from the bottom of my heart,” she said as she shook Rainey’s hand.

Overwhelmed with gratitude, the Taveras family expressed their deep appreciation for saving Jesus’ life.

“I just want to say thank you. You really are angels. God sent you for a reason,” Solange said of the first responders who resuscitated her son.

The Concepcion family is eager to share their incredible story and hopes it will serve as a powerful reminder to all families of the importance of constant supervision, enrolling children in swimming lessons, using protective barriers near water, and learning heart -pulmonary resuscitation.

“Unfortunately, in Broward County, drowning is the leading cause of death for children under the age of 4, and that’s been attributed to the fact that we have so many waterways here,” Coral Springs Police Chief Bradley McKeone said.

First responders also hope this is a lesson all families will remember — especially as the holiday weekend and summer months approach, when children are out of school and moving around.

“It’s very important to teach your children to swim to ensure they are 100% supervised at all times around bodies of water,” said Coral Springs Police Superintendent Ryan Reinert. “These things are very tragic. However, they are avoidable.”

“It could happen to anyone. I know it was an accident,” Solange said.

McKeone said all of his officers are working with the fire department to be trained in CPR so they can step in and try to save a life, whoever gets to the scene first.

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