SNOHOMISH COUNTY, Wash. — A 2-year-old boy is recovering in the hospital after he was found unresponsive floating in a pond in Granite Falls.
The boy's family believed he crawled out the back of his babysitter's house and was trying to fill up a water gun he found in the backyard when he fell in the water.
A woman who lived nearby came upon Micheal a few minutes later. Chelsea Charles sucked the water out of Micheal's lungs through his nose and began administering CPR before first responders could get there.
"His eyes were open when I started [CPR]," Charles said. "It was almost like he was looking at me, like screaming for help without saying anything."
"She did everything in her power to save my son," Micheal's mother, Savannah Dumas said.
Charles performed CPR on Micheal for eight minutes before Sergeant Boyer with the Snohomish County Sheriff's Office arrived and took over. Boyer said Micheal was "cold to the touch" when he got there, according to a Facebook post from the sheriff's office.
When medical units arrived two firefighters carried Michael to an ambulance while Boyer continued CPR.
Once inside the ambulance, medical aid took over CPR, and Boyer continued to talk to Micheal while first responders tried to revive him. The sheriff’s office said first responders performed CPR on Micheal for about 35 minutes while he was being taken to Providence Regional Medical Center.
“When they finally said they got a pulse, but it was weak, all I could think was thank you, thank you Lord for giving him back,” said Dumas.
Once he was at Providence Regional Medical Center, Micheal was taken to Seattle Children’s hospital.
The sheriff’s office spoke to Micheal’s mom on Tuesday and got an update about the toddler’s condition. Although the 2-year-old remained in the hospital, the sheriff’s office wrote he “has made some progress!”
Micheal’s mom said he was “yawning, stretching and his pupils are reacting,” and shared a short video of the boy recovering in the hospital.
"I saw the life in his eyes and he's like 'mom I'm here,'" Dumas said.
“He’s a fighter. He’s two- and a half but he’s the biggest two and a half-year-old you will ever see,” said Mikey’s father Micheal Dean Paag.
“We would like to recognize and honor Sgt. Boyer for his quick response and lifesaving actions, as well as thank the fire and aid units who were outstanding in their efforts to save Micheal’s life,” the sheriff’s office wrote on Facebook.
“No one mean for this to happen,” said Paag.
“It was just a freak accident,” said Dumas.
"It's up to Mikey to finish this story, we're just here to support him and be strong for him and fight for him like he's fighting for us," Paag said.