Arab child stabilized at Birmingham hospital after possible drowning incident

ARAB, Ala. (WHNT) – A 2-year-old girl was taken to the hospital after a possible drowning Monday evening, according to the Arab Fire Department.

A spokesman with the fire department said they responded to a call for a 2-year-old possible drowning victim at a home on Almond Drive around 7 p.m.

Arab Police Chief Shane Washburn said when officers arrived at the home, the child, identified by her church as Violet, was already lying by the pool. The family and officers performed CPR until medical services arrived.

The AFD spokesperson said she was taken to Marshall Medical Center North and then airlifted to Children’s of Alabama in Birmingham shortly after.

Violet’s mother wrote that the toddler was stabilized, but in hypothermic sleep to help heal her brain.

Yesterday July 1st, we were celebrating our sweet girl’s 2nd birthday when she snuck outside without her floaties and got into the pool. We found her blue with no pulse but the first responders got her heart beating and took her to Birmingham on a med flight. They got her stabilized and in a hypothermic sleep to help heal her brain, but it’s not looking good. There is very little activity in her brain, but that being said, the hypothermic treatment is keeping her very cold, which slows brain activity down so we really won’t know the extent of the injury until we warm her back up and check for signs of brain activity. She’s strong, but she needs every prayer imaginable right now. Just pray it isn’t God’s time to take our littlest love home.

Rebekah Satterfield, Violet’s mother

The family will be hosting a vigil at 5:30 p.m. at Liberty Church, located at 120 Kenyon Road in Arab.

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