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Florida mother dies saving 4-year-old son from St. Johns River
A DeLand mother died after rescuing her 4-year-old son from the St. Johns River, and a witness who tried to save her said she used all of her strength to keep the child above water before collapsing.
DELAND, Fla. - A DeLand mother died after rescuing her 4-year-old son from the St. Johns River, and a witness who tried to save her said she used all of her strength to keep the child above water before collapsing.
Investigators said 43-year-old Nicole Grayson was at Ed Stone Park on Saturday when her 4-year-old son dropped an item into the river.
'She was a hero'
What they're saying:
Family members said the boy slipped into the water while trying to retrieve the item.
"My guess is he was trying to get it. He slipped in the water, deep, he slipped away in the water. And then my mom, I guess she panicked, and she went in the water and tried to save him," Grayson's oldest son, Dafino Devega, said.
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As Grayson struggled in the water, bystanders rushed to help. A 911 caller told dispatchers, "Hey 911, can you come to… Ed Stone Park. We have a mother that’s drowned, and we got the baby, but we can’t get the mama."
Witness Jon Reaka said he saw Grayson focus entirely on keeping her son above the water.
"She spent all her energy trying to get her kid up over the edge," Reaka said.
Authorities said a boater was able to pull the child from the river safely. Grayson, however, was unresponsive when she was brought aboard.
"I jumped over the rail, jumped onto the boat and pulled the lady up onto the boat and, you know, we started CPR — I started CPR and mouth-to-mouth immediately," Reaka said.
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Grayson was taken to a hospital, where she later died.
"I tried everything I could do to save her. You know, I, I feel horrible. I mean, it's so sad what happened," Reaka said.
Her family said Grayson's final act reflected the kind of mother she had always been.
"That's the type of mom that she was; she was a hero," Devega said.
"My mom, she was a strong woman, she would do anything to keep her kids safe," he added.
Local perspective:
Family members said Grayson was the mother of six. Throughout the day, people stopped by Ed Stone Park to leave flowers and offer condolences in her memory.
The Source: This story was written based on information shared by Nicole Grayson's oldest son, Dafino Devega, and witness Jon Reaka.