Stephanie Swedberg, 33 weeks pregnant, was teaching her twin boys to swim at a lake one Sunday morning when she noticed another child struggling to keep their head above the water. A former lifeguard, her instincts kicked in and she prevented a horrible tragedy from happening.
Stephanie Swedberg was at the lake teaching her sons to swim.
Stephanie normally attends church on Sunday mornings but decided that day to watch the sermon online and take her twin sons to the lake and teach them to swim. They went to the Crystal Beach Park in Burnsville, Minnesota. She was a former lifeguard and knows the importance of teaching children to swim at an early age.
“I just have always known with these guys that I wanted them to learn how to swim as soon as possible,” explained Stephanie, and “just to be able to not panic in a situation where maybe they can’t touch the bottom.”
Her twin boys are three years old and Stephanie was working with them on how to float. She and her sister were in the water working with the little boys, helping to develop their swimming skills.
Then Stephanie heard a mother screaming for help.
There was another group of boys swimming nearby, all around the ages of 10 to 14, who were playing in a deeper area of the water. Stephanie, at first, didn’t realize that anything was wrong until she saw another mom running into the water fully dressed. She was screaming for someone to help her son who was unable to keep his head above the water.
Stephanie sprung into action.
Stephanie handed her son to her sister and swam towards the boy. He wasn’t screaming or yelling, just thrashing in the water trying to get a foothold and keep his head above the water. Stephanie was able to reach the boy and helped save his life.
She credits the vigilance of the mother for keeping a sharp eye out. Ironically, the years that Stephanie spent as a lifeguard, saving this little boy’s life was her first rescue. And she was 33 weeks pregnant.
She wants everyone to remember the importance of swimming lessons.
It is important for children to learn how to swim when they are young. A vital skill that children need that could one day save their life.
Often, a child who is drowning is silent, gasping for air they often cannot yell for help. In addition to children learning to swim, it is important for everyone to be aware of the signs of a drowning child: gasping, bobbing up and down in the water, and having their arms down at their sides are all signs of someone struggling to keep their head above the water.
As a woman of faith, Stephanie believes she was at the right place at the right time for a reason. Her quick-thinking and willingness to jump in and help in a desperate situation saved a little boy’s life.
Check out the amazing rescue below!
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Source: Going Viral
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