Family Warns About The Drowning Hazard Posed By A Bucket Of Water

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Emily and Ray Fischer are sharing their story in the hopes that they can prevent other families from going through the same tragedy they’re experiencing.

Their 13-month-old son, Miles, fell into a bucket of water and nearly drowned.

“Know that anything can happen, even if you are being vigilant and being watchful and preventative,” Miles’s mother, Emily Fischer, said.

Emily said she was gardening in the family’s front yard as her husband and the kids grilled out back. She said it took just a matter of minutes for the family to realize that Miles was missing.

“My son had gone out the door, and by the time (my husband) ran back to the front to check the hotdogs is when he saw Miles,” she said.

The toddler was face-down in a bucket his siblings had used to fill their water guns. The water was only 5 inches deep.

Miles was taken to McKay-Dee Hospital, then to Primary Children’s Hospital. After a couple of days in the Pediatric ICU, the family saw a glimmer of hope.

“He said ‘Mama, Dada’ and clapped his hands, which was a huge relief that he was OK,” Emily Fischer said.

However, a few days later, Miles had a seizure.

“You could see his eyes rolling back, and he’s completely shaking with a seizure,” his mother said.

The Mother said that scans revealed possible damage to Miles’ brain from being under water for at least 4 minutes.

The Fischer’s are hoping that other parents can learn from their tragedy and empty any type of object that can hold water. Another lesson they want parents to remember: always know where your little ones are.

“Be aware of them, because one day you just might be in the same situation where you can’t hold them every day,” Ray Fischer said.

The boy is expected to spend at least 1 more month at Primary Children’s Hospital. Doctors are still unsure about the extent of his brain damage.