4-year old Asher Dew gives a thumbs up from his hospital bed at Egleston Children’s Hospital in Atlanta.
“We are looking at a miracle today,” says James Dew as he and his wife Courtney watch their 4-year old son Asher play with his baby brother Elijah at their home in Winder. Just 72 hours earlier the young couple faced the very real possibility they’d never see such moments again when Asher nearly drowned.
In the blink of an eye
The Dews were enjoying a Memorial Day cookout and swim party at a friend’s house in Banks County on Monday. There were kids and adults all around. When dinner time came, James removed Asher’s flotation device so he could sit at the table and eat. About 45 minutes later screams filled the afternoon air. Asher had walked to the deep end of the pool, slipped and fallen in. “We heard one of the older kids scream out ‘I can’t lift him up!,'” says James, recounting that horrifying moment. “As I looked out, I knew it was my son Asher. He was fully submerged at the bottom of the deep end of the pool.” Dew jumped in and pulled his son’s “lifeless body” from the water.
They called 911.
A man the Dews had met just an hour earlier stepped in to help. Kevin Parson wasn’t even planning on coming to the party that day, but he showed up with friends at the last minute. Dew says Parson gave Asher CPR three or four times and “life came back into my son.”
Soon after, Banks County deputies and EMTs arrived.
Asher was airlifted by helicopter to Egleston Children’s Hospital in Atlanta where he was placed in intensive care. He was released from the hospital on Wednesday.
After he recovered, the boy told his parents he tried to climb up the pool ladder after he fell in but it was too slippery. He then sank to the bottom of the pool.
From nightmare to miracle
In those fleeting moments between the screams and Asher being revived James and Courtney Dew faced every parent’s worst nightmare. Seeing their son’s lifeless body is a sight they will never forget but, now when they look at him, they also see a miracle.
They’re beyond grateful.
“Courtney and I would like to thank our Heavenly Father first and foremost,” James says, “Kevin for reviving Asher with CPR, the two kids that first found Asher, the Banks County First Responders and Egleston Children’s Hospital in Atlanta. And, of course, everyone that lifted our son up in prayer.”
As they share their gratitude they also share words of warning.
“We want to bring water safety awareness to everyone, because there were several adults near the pool this past Monday and we almost lost my son due to none of us paying attention.”
As for Asher, Dew says he’s fully recovered from the ordeal. “He’s just smiling and says ‘thank you’ to everyone.”
