Father and Son Save Neighbor's Toddler With Autism from Pool Drowning; Parents Offer Water Safety Tips

A father and son from Kansas were hailed heroes in their local community after saving a 4-year-old with autism from a potential pool drowning incident.

Maddox Westerhaus, 12 years old, was playing in the backyard with his friends when he noticed someone's tiny head floating in the community pool. The youngster realized that it was their neighbor's toddler, Xzavier Rigney, who had autism.

The 12-year-old rushed home to alert his father, Tom Westerhaus, who used to work as a lifeguard. Without missing a beat, Tom ran towards the pool, dove in the water, and took the toddler to safety.

Tom then started doing chest compressions on Xzavier, who had been underwater for about three minutes, according to People. The dad was relieved when Xzavier jolted and coughed up water. Minutes later, the Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical Battalion arrived on the scene and took over.

Xzavier's Mom Was With Infant Daughter

Alexis Rigney, Xzavier's mother, said that she was trying to appease and comfort her infant daughter when her son, who is also non-verbal, took off without her knowledge. Though their apartment complex pool had gates to prevent such an accident, Xzavier somehow got past this and immediately jumped in the water.

The mother said that her toddler with autism has been "attracted to the water" ever since, but he's not yet a strong swimmer. She was in tears when she thanked the father and son for saving Xzavier. The whole incident was caught on the apartment's CCTV, which was how the medical battalion determined how long the toddler had been submerged.

Laura McCabe, the fire and police department spokesperson, told Today that Xzavier was already blue from lack of oxygen. However, Tom didn't give up on administering CPR for over two and a half minutes.

"I hope people realize how long that is to work on a child with very few signs of it making a difference," McCabe said.

As a result of their alertness and heroism, Tom and Maddox were recognized by the fire and police department in a special ceremony. Chief Rob Fleeup awarded the father and son with certificates of heroism and commemorative coins for saving a life.

Parents Share Tips on Water Safety

Meanwhile, as the summer season has begun, parents Jennifer and David Peacock offered some advice for families to ensure their kids are safe in the water. The Peacocks lost their son, Wesley, to a pool drowning incident at the height of the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020. They have been advocating for water safety since then, per Click Orlando.

The parents said that it's important for families to consider these important factors to prevent drowning accidents. First, the children should have swimming lessons, and the family should have CPR training. The pool must also have a secure and self-closing gate, while the backyard door going to the pool should be locked or set with an alarm in case the kids wander off.

Jennifer and David also emphasized the supervision of children. This way, parents can avoid situations that will put their little ones at risk.