Jul 22, 2009 11:12 pm US/Eastern
Family Files Lawsuit After Son's Near-Drowning
BALTIMORE (WJZ) ―
Drowning is the second leading cause of accidental death in children. Monday night, in an
Eyewitness News investigation,
Denise Koch told you about the Beckers. Their son's life will never be the same after he nearly drowned three years ago. Thursday, they'll file a $40 million lawsuit against the pool and its management company.
Eighteen-year-old James Becker is coming home from his morning at the Chimes School. He wasn't always confined to a wheelchair. Three years ago, he was an athletic 15-year-old on summer break from Archbishop Curley High School when he and his mother decided to spend a hot afternoon at the pool.
That's when it happened.
"I looked over and saw my son going up and down in the water, his head bobbing. I dove under and pulled him out of the water," she said.
One of the lifeguards did CPR.
"When he was pulled out of the water, there was no heartbeat. He was not breathing," she said.
When the emergency crew got there, they used a defibrillator to restart his heart, but critical minutes at passed. His brain, deprived of oxygen, suffered major damage. He needs constant care.
The Beckers, who now keep a defibrillator in their home, have been fighting for legislation that requires defibrillators at all public pools and an increased number of lifeguards be trained to use them,
"We thought our pool was safe. We paid our dues. We thought we were in a safe environment," she said. "We are going to make a difference."
The Becker's attorneys will announce the lawsuit Thursday, just before noon.
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