The summer season is generally anticipated by many. The long days offer an endless opportunity for fun, including a favorite past time for the hot days: swimming. While this activity often tops the list for summer activities, most families do not expect a traumatic event at the local pool. However, if the unexpected happens, community members recently proved their unwavering calm in the eye of the storm.
When Kellie Gardner loaded her four children into the family car in early July, the kids were excited for a fun-filled day at the Emery Aquatic Center. Her children are no strangers to the pool, as they frequently take swim lessons and play with friends at the center.
Gardner met a friend at the pool at 12:30 p.m. on July 1. The kids rushed to play with their friends, entering the shallow pool area that boasts a variety of toys. Gardner proceeded to apply sunscreen to her baby, keeping a watchful eye on the older children.
However, just minutes after arriving at the pool, Gardner looked up and couldn’t see her three-year-old son Tate anymore. “I just got the strongest feeling I’ve ever had that I needed to find Tate, and that I needed to find him right now,” she said.
She scanned the pool area looking for her son as panic set in. After looking for him near the lazy river, she dropped her gaze and saw her worst nightmare: her son, facedown in the pool.
Gardner rushed to Tate, screaming for help. While her son was only in water that was about one foot deep, she knew something was wrong. She pulled Tate from the water, panicking but desperate to remember what she had learned in previous CPR classes.
“I don’t even know what I was saying,” Gardner said. “I just kept screaming and yelling and trying to get him to wake up.”
Despite facing her worst nightmare, Kellie let instincts take over, pumping her small son’s stomach to dispel the water. Her son was not breathing and he was pale, but she continued to pump his stomach while a lifeguard rushed to provide assistance.
Aleah, the aquatic center’s lifeguard, and Marilyn Collard worked to revive Tate. Shandee Gardner and Shelby Payne, who were also at the pool that day, consoled Kellie while the lifeguard worked to save her son’s life. Meanwhile, Shawnee Jones contacted Kellie’s husband Lane to inform him of the situation.
After nearly two traumatizing minutes, Tate began breathing again. “When I heard him screaming, I just fell to the ground and began screaming even more because I knew he was alive,” Kellie said.
Emery County Dispatch received five 911 calls within minutes, relaying the situation at the aquatic center. Kurt Price, who serves with the Emery County Sheriff’s Office along with Lane, was the first to arrive on the scene. AJ O’Neil and Mike Van Wagoner arrived shortly after.
While Tate was breathing again, he required immediate medical attention. The closest ambulance was nearly 20 minutes from the scene, but Tate’s father had rushed to the pool. He loaded Tate in his vehicle and rushed to Castleview Hospital.
Lane called ahead, alerting Carbon County Dispatch that he would be rushing his son to the hospital, likely speeding through another jurisdiction. The dispatcher understood the severity of the situation, and authorities closed a road and staged an officer to escort Lane and his son to the hospital. Meanwhile, Kaylee Van Wagoner helped Kellie meet her family at Castleview, rushing to drive Kellie to be with her son and husband.
Tate was in shock by the time he reached Castleview, and medical staff worked to ensure that there was no water remaining in his lungs. Tate was out of the woods, but medical personnel kept him overnight to monitor his vital signs before discharging him the following day.
Garrett Safley, the Price City Police officer who escorted Lane and Tate to the hospital, was eager to help their family during their stay at the hospital. He offered to bring the Gardner’s supplies to make their stay more comfortable, a kindness the family won’t soon forget. Van Wagoner also continued to support the family, purchasing the family a change of clothes and food before returning with gifts for Tate.
Tate had more visitors during his stay, including Emery County Sheriff Tyson Huntington and his wife, Stephanie and Mike Howes, and AJ O’Neil, while others supported the family from afar. Upon their return home, the support continued, and the Gardner family was quick to express their appreciation.
“There were so many people that helped, I can’t even begin to name them all,” Kellie said. “There were so many helping hands to make this miracle happen.”
Tate and his family revisited the aquatic center just days after the incident to thank those who helped save a life on that frightful day, including Aleah, Van Wagoner and Shannon Hiatt. “A lot of beautiful, amazing people kept my son here,” Kellie concluded.
