Swimming is an essential life skill that most people should have.
Swimming accidents are one of the most common reasons for death, especially among children. In the summer of 2022, a 3-year-old boy from California was going to become the latest victim of one such pool accident. But lucky for the toddler and his parents, a young swimming prodigy came to the younger one’s rescue. Here is how a 7-year-old, Massiah Browne, turned into a savior for a little kid.
In July 2022, Massiah Browne was swimming with his cousins at his apartment complex’s pool in Sacramento. Browne, who often went to the pool, found something strange that day. The 7-year-old noticed a young toddler, unconsciously lying at the bottom of the pool. Although Browne was just 7, he immediately jumped into action and dived deep into the water to save the child.
Messiah was at the pool at WestLake Apartments in Sacramento when he spotted something odd. He saw a child at the bottom of the pool and immediately went to get help.
He reported what he saw to his aunt Savannah Martinborough, who herself is just 9 years old. She immediately instructed Messiah to pull the child out of the water. As soon as the 7-year-old heard his aunt, he dived deep into the pool.
The 9-year-old aunt recalls, “He grabbed his arm and came back up with him.” The 7-year-old had rescued a 3-year-old who had fallen into the pool and was sinking to the bottom of the pool, about to drown. The duo then reported the child to the adults at the pool who immediately jumped to action.
Adults who were trained in CPR helped attend to the child till the Sacramento Fire Department arrived to provide medical assistance.
By the time the toddler was being taken to the hospital, his breathing had gone back to normal.
While talking to Good Morning America, Browne said, “I was just playing in the pool, and then I saw a boy at the bottom of the pool, And I went to go get him.” Following Browne’s action, his 9-year-old cousin Savannah, helped him to bring the little kid up to the pool deck. The children did not waste time in informing the situation to their parents. “Savannah brought him to his mom, and then they did CPR on the boy, and then they called the doctor,” recalled the young hero.
Little Messiah Browne ended up saving a precious life but he says he does not consider himself a hero for his brave feat! However, he shares that his mother does think of the little boy as a hero! And she should since Messiah was incredibly courageous and helped save a life.
The 9-year-old and 7-year-old have a message for people, make sure that kids are comfortable and that they are always being watched when they are in the pool; incredibly sound advice!
Browne’s father, Marcus Browne, a professional boxer, who represented the USA at the 2012 London Olympics, was shocked by his son’s daring. He said, “I just couldn’t believe it. He’s a good kid.” However, swimming accidents are quite frequent, and sometimes even swimming GOAT like Michael Phelps can fail to avoid them.
Phelps’s horrifying collision in the swimming pool
During the 2009 World Aquatics Championships, Phelps met with an unfortunate accident with Australian swimmer Cate Campbell. Right before the final 100m fly race, Phelps dived into the pool for a warm-up session.
via Imago
However, while practicing, Phelps ran straight into Campbell, resulting in a serious head clash. The impact of the clash broke Phelps’s goggles into two and gave him a bruised shoulder and blurry vision. Despite the tense situation, the swimming champion participated in the race and went on to win the gold medal.
Although Phelps and Browne’s heroic stories are remarkable, one should always maintain precaution in the pool. And take extra care of young children.
Source: KTVB
