Teen saved by 11-year-old after near drowning
ETOWAH, Okla. (KFOR) — A fun Fourth of July pool party took a terrifying turn after a teenager would've drowned, had it not been for an 11-year-old. The duo, who were strangers before the party, now share a brotherly bond.
"That's not what I expected to see obviously, was my own son just blue and lifeless. That's a vision no mom should ever have to see," said Kellie Dickens, whose son nearly drowned.
17-year-old Jacob Dickens was enjoying the Fourth of July holiday at the pool, where many Oklahomans celebrate the holiday. He and a group of kids were playing basketball when Jacob went under the water and didn't come back up.
11-year-old Xander Tessneer watched it all unfold.
"I hear Xander say something along the lines of how long can this guy hold his breath. Something like that. I look up and he caught my eye...eye contact like mom, this is weird," said Kandice Tessneer.
That's when Xander jumped into action.
"I picked him up and his lips were like as blue as that flower pot. That's how blue he was," said Xander Tessneer, who saved Jacob Dickens' life.
Jacob said he doesn't recall the moment his life almost ended.
"I just remember playing basketball and then I randomly woke up on the deck over here. At first supposedly, I was just groaning a lot. They couldn't find a pulse originally." said Jacob Dickens, who nearly drowned.
The boys were strangers before the pool party, and with Jacob being an only child, he said he now has a younger brother.
"It's just crazy to think about, like there's a big size difference, and he was the one that did it," said Jacob.
Both families said it was a crazy day, especially since Xander and his family weren't even supposed to be at the pool.
"Schedule got changed and we were here... And I'm glad we were here," said Kandice.
Now they have a message for others who plan to be out on the water this summer.
"Check in on your kids when they're in water because that's not something I would've ever anticipated," said Kellie.
"I wish it didn't happen, but it was good that this was the place it was. We had a lot of people with medical backgrounds, so it was a lot. This was where it needed to be," said Xander.
Xander and his mom want to take CPR classes and get a refresher to be prepared if this happens again.
Jacob's mom said they still aren't sure how he ended up underwater. He was showing seizure-like signs, but she said it's unclear if that was the cause.