A 28-year-old mom who jumped last month into the ocean to save her two young kids from drowning has recovered from critical injuries, authorities announced on Thursday, August 18.
According to police, the heroic woman, identified by authorities only as Kassandra, ran into the water when she saw her two kids struggling in the waves. However, her initial rescue attempt was thwarted, as she was overpowered by the strong currents of the ocean, according to NJ.com.
Cops said in a statement that the incident transpired about 9:30 a.m. on July 13 when the two children, who were wading in the water, appeared to have become overpowered by the ocean's current and were in distress.
Witness called cops after seeing woman rescue her two kids in raging waters
Police added that a witness observed the woman run into the ocean to attempt to rescue her two children and subsequently observed her become distressed. The witness then called the police after the woman disappeared underwater.
Cops said that because of the mom's selfless actions and the witness immediately seeking help from police, the kids were rescued by the Brigantine Beach Patrol, who were training on a beach nearby before their shift, Patch reported.
According to the city's fire-rescue squad and the local beach patrol, the injured mom was taken to AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center in critical condition. The names and ages of her two children were not released to protect the family's privacy.
All's well that ends well as the mom made a surprise recovery to visit with her family earlier this week. According to the beach patrol, the mother also presented officials with refreshments and custom wood flags to show her appreciation for their rescue.
The beach patrol said in a statement that it was reiterated to the mother by public safety personnel that her own selfless actions were directly responsible for saving the lives of her two children.
The statement said that they were truly happy to see the amazing recovery that Kassandra has made. The beach patrol added that they are very appreciative of her and her family's generosity.
Drowning, a leading cause of death for American kids
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said that drowning is the leading cause of death for children in the United States. The agency said that more kids ages 1 to 4 die from drowning in the U.S. than any other cause, not counting birth defects.
Drowning is also the second leading cause of unintentional injury death after motor vehicle crashes for kids ages 1 to 14.
An estimated total of 3,960 fatal unintentional drownings are recorded every year in the country. That includes boating-related drowning incidents. An average of 11 drowning deaths happen per day in the U.S. There are also an estimated 8,080 nonfatal drownings every year in the country. That is an average of 22 nonfatal drownings in the U.S. per day.
