ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. -- Every day, Tommy Gibran is haunted by a nightmare he can't escape: the memory of his 3-year-old son, Lucius Cantrell, unresponsive and dying right in front of him.
"That's what I think about every day," Gibran said. "That's the one picture in my mind: when I went over the fence and I saw my son face down in the water. I just clinch my fist thinking, 'No, this can't be happening.'"
A couple weeks ago, Lucius wandered off and fell into a pond not far from his St. Johns County home.
His father found him face down in the pond less than two minutes later.
"It's just a dream or a nightmare," Gibran said. "There's no way that could happen to that little guy. I mean, he's just so precious."
A former lifeguard, Gibran knew exactly what to do.
For 10 minutes he did CPR nonstop, trying desperately to breathe life back into his child.
All of this while Lucius' 6-year old brother looked on in horror.
Here's a clip of the 911 call:
911: Tell him to continue CPR, do not stop.
Caller: Continue.
911: Do not stop the CPR.
Caller: He said to continue the CPR.
Father: Hurry!
Caller: They're on the way.
911: They're coming as fast as they can. They're coming as fast as they can. How long was he in the water?
Caller: Do you know how long he was in the water?
Father: No. Not even 2 minutes.
Caller: No more than 2 minutes.
Father: Come on! Come on, son! Come on! Come on!
911: Tell him he's got to stay calm and keep focused on CPR.
Gibran saved his son's life, but in those two minutes without oxygen, Lucius suffered brain damage.
Doctor's aren't yet sure what kind of life he'll have.
"I know I have to be positive and hopeful that he's going to get better now," Gibran said. "I keep coming back to seeing him in the pond, and that's the most troubling. The thought that he's still alive is good, but the thought that this even happened is bad.
"He's 3 years old, so we plan on him having a good recovery. I mean his brain is still growing so, we're hoping for the best."
Lucius is still in intensive care. When he comes home he'll need around-the-clock care, an overwhelming financial burden on a family with no health insurance.
There has been an account set up to help his family.
If you would like to donate, the account is at Vystar Credit Union in Lucius Cantrell's name.
The account number is 0702782921.
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