Parenting

1 Twin Dies After Great Grandmother Finds Toddlers Drowning in Family Pool

ParentingPublished Feb 27, 2019
By Kaitlin Stanford
Noah and Levi Schroeder stand holding hands smiling.CBS Austin

The town of Cedar Creek, Texas, is in mourning this week after a shocking accident in the family pool caused one toddler to drown to death and left his twin brother fighting for his life. And now, their mother is opening up about the nightmare that has enveloped her world, in hopes of spreading awareness to other parents of young children.

Noah and Levi Schroeder were reportedly visiting their great-grandmother with their mom Demi last week, shortly after her grandfather had passed away.

According to CBS Austin, Demi and her two boys spent the night at her grandmother's house in Cedar Creek, but when she awoke on Saturday, February 23, she discovered the twins were not in their room.

 "All of a sudden, I hear my Nanny say they're in the pool back here and I run from the front yard to the back yard and my grandma is pulling my kids out of the pool," Demi told the outlet through tears, adding that she believes Noah went in first, because he loved the water.

First responders arrived on the scene within minutes to perform CPR on the boys, before rushing them to the hospital.

As the boys' mom shared with CBS, Levi's heart first began beating again at home. But his fight was far from over.

He was quickly airlifted to Dell Children's Medical Center, while Noah was taken by ambulance.

Once in the emergency room, Demi watched over Noah as her 2 ½ year-old fought bravely and doctors did everything they could.

"They ask me what they need from me and I said I need you to sing for him, so we all sing his favorite song and he had a little heartbeat," she sobbed. "I think that was the last time his heart beat on its own."

Sadly, little Noah's tragic death marks the fifth drowning death of a child in the state of Texas in 2019.

According to HelpandHope.org, drowning is the leading cause of death for children under five, which puts toddlers like Levi and Noah especially at risk. In fact, Safe Kids Worldwide reports that some 1,000 children are expected to die in drowning accidents each year, and 70 percent of them will happen during the summer months of May-August.

Still, drowning deaths don't just happen in the summer, and they don't just happen in the pool. Water safety experts say they can happen in minutes and -- most alarming of all -- in less than two inches of water, according to CNN.

Parents wondering how to protect their own kids against potential accidents should brush up on water safety and emergency response skills ASAP.

Safe Kids recommends that parents always keep a close watch when kids are near water, clearly secure or fence off water sources, use floaties or life vests when needed, and enroll kids in swim lessons as early as possible. (Yes, even as babies.)

But it's also important to know how to respond in case of an emergency yourself. Enroll yourself in a CPR class or visit the American Heart Association's official website to brush up on the basics. 

The heartbreaking truth of it all is, while thousands of lives may be affected by drowning deaths this year alone, 100 percent of the cases will be preventable. Knowing what to do now could make all the difference.

Through their grief, the Schroeder family is pouring all their love and attention on Levi, who's continuing to put up a fight at Dell Children's.

"He's opening his eyes and he's so groggy from medication," Schroeder told CBS. "Right now, we're just fighting for Levi and that's all we're worried about is him."

If there is one small bit of solace for this family right now, it may be the knowledge that Noah's organs have since helped save the lives of five others.

Still, they continue to pray for Levi, who is now breathing on his own but faces a long recovery.

"Any love and support anybody can give us is what we need and what we want right now." Schroeder told CBS.

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