It started out like every friday, the alarm clock going off at three in the morning. I got ready for work, and because I couldn't take my car, I waited for my coworker to pick me up. I was super excited for work to get over, because we were going to go to a friend's house in Grand Haven for a soccer team party. The plan was for me to call Katie when I was close to being done with work and she and the kids would come pick me up. So I worked my normal work day and called Katie to come and get me. We weren't quite done with work when she got there, so I told her to send Christian in to help. He came in and I introduced him to my co workers. My boss came out and was talking to him about soccer, and then told me that I could leave. I told him that I would help finish loading the truck for Monday and then leave. So we finished loading the truck while Christian dribbled a soccer ball around the warehouse. Then Katie drove us home to eat lunch.
After lunch we headed out to Grand Haven. We got to our friends parents house, which is right on Lake Michigan. When we got their the only person in the house was Christian's best friends sister, Myah. Christian held up two swimsuits and asked her what one he should wear. She told him to wear the green one, so he went and put it on, then he headed down to the beach. I stayed back with Katie to help with the girls. After we all got ready we made our way down to the beach. To get down to the beach, you have to walk down what seems like 1000 stairs, although I am pretty sure it is one hundred and some stairs. We got down to the beach and I sat down next to my friends, and we immediately started talking about soccer. Tryouts were the next day, and we were talking about the team and what changes there could be.
Christian was just getting into the water when we got down there. I was keeping an eye on him, knowing that he isn't the strongest swimmer in the world. I noticed that he was out kind of far, but it looked like he was swimming just fine. Then Katie said that she thought I should go out there and make sure he was ok, so I took my shirt off and started heading out. The water was FREEZING that day, I am not sure the temp, but it could not have been more then 50 degrees. It didn't seem like he was struggling at all and he wasn't calling for help, but I kept swimming toward him. As I got closer it looked like he was having a hard time. I yelled for him to hold on and that I was coming. The whole time I was swimming I made sure to keep my eyes on him. When I was no more the five yards away a wave came and when I got over the wave, he was gone. I dove under right away, but I couldn't find him. I yelled for his friend to come ove, he was in a kayak. He paddled over and we both kept looking for him. By the time I got out there, I was physically beat, I could only dive down a couple feet at a time. I kept trying to go further, but I just couldn't. I started to yell for more help, and I saw a three of my friends swimming out to us. Some of Christian's other teammates were out there too on a paddle boat and kayaks. We were all looking and looking for him. The water was about 10 feet deep and pretty murky. There is a campground right next to where we were. A lot of people from that beach made their way out making a human chain. It is hard to estimate how many people were out there looking, but I would say at least 25, maybe more. Some of these parts are all a blur, or like a time lapse video in my head. Anyway, it seemed like forever before the dive team got there. At some point, I had gotten so cold that I decided I needed to go to the beach, dry off and be with Katie and the girls. We took one kayak in and I found Katie and the girls, dropped to my knees and just lost it. Katie was praying and crying, the girls were crying, it seemed like this wasn't really happening. One of the Sheriffs wanted to talk to me to find out what happened. I explained everything, frantically, to him. I heard someone saying that they found him, and saw one of the boats heading for the beach. They brought him up on shore and immediately started chest compressions. Katie and I ran over there. People kept trying to tell us to leave, but all I really wanted was to be by him. They finally convinced me and Katie to go back to the girls. They told us what hospital they were bringing him to and told us to head there.
A guy we met on the beach drove us to the hospital, he was a pastor and prayed with us on the beach. It seemed like it took at least a half of an hour to get to the hospital, although I am pretty sure it is about a five to ten minute drive. On the way to the hospital I just started calling people. I called my dad, mom, sisters, friends, anyone that I could think of. I quickly explained what happened and told them to pray. When we got to the hospital they took us to the chapel. Katie, Blessing, Victoria, our friend Melissa, Pastor Larry, and myself were in the chapel. I am sure we talked, but I do not remember what was said. I remember that I was so cold, and they brought us some blankets. I also remember having this sick to my stomach feeling, unlike anything I have ever felt before. The Dr. came into the room and told us some stuff, I don't remember all of what he said, but something like we got his heart beating, he is on a ventilator......that is all that I can remember. He asked if we would like to go in and see him, Katie and I both said yes. So he took us into the room. Christian was hooked up to so many machines, and there was tubes everywhere. Katie and I both started talking to him, holding his hands, and rubbing his face. At some point, it was decided that AeroMed was going to fly him from the hospital in Grand Haven to The Helen DeVos Children's Hospital. They told us that the one of the Sheriffs would drive us to the hospital in Grand Rapids. AeroMed got there and we walked him out to the helicopter. The Sheriff then let us into his truck and we started the drive to Grand Rapids. This seemed to take WAY longer then it should. I know that Katie and I talked, but I have no clue what we said. I do remember saying that I couldn't wait to tell Christian that we got to ride in the back of a police car and that he got to ride on a helicopter. I should also note that this whole time I felt that Christian was going to be OK. I thought that he would make it through. Death was never an option or thought.
On the way to the hospital I logged onto Christian's Facebook account and posted this. "This is Christians dad, please pray for Christian, he drowned and is unresponsive, his heart is beating and they have him breathing on a ventilator. PLEASE PRAY!"
This is all I can manage to write for now. Looks like this is going to be a two part post.
A guy we met on the beach drove us to the hospital, he was a pastor and prayed with us on the beach. It seemed like it took at least a half of an hour to get to the hospital, although I am pretty sure it is about a five to ten minute drive. On the way to the hospital I just started calling people. I called my dad, mom, sisters, friends, anyone that I could think of. I quickly explained what happened and told them to pray. When we got to the hospital they took us to the chapel. Katie, Blessing, Victoria, our friend Melissa, Pastor Larry, and myself were in the chapel. I am sure we talked, but I do not remember what was said. I remember that I was so cold, and they brought us some blankets. I also remember having this sick to my stomach feeling, unlike anything I have ever felt before. The Dr. came into the room and told us some stuff, I don't remember all of what he said, but something like we got his heart beating, he is on a ventilator......that is all that I can remember. He asked if we would like to go in and see him, Katie and I both said yes. So he took us into the room. Christian was hooked up to so many machines, and there was tubes everywhere. Katie and I both started talking to him, holding his hands, and rubbing his face. At some point, it was decided that AeroMed was going to fly him from the hospital in Grand Haven to The Helen DeVos Children's Hospital. They told us that the one of the Sheriffs would drive us to the hospital in Grand Rapids. AeroMed got there and we walked him out to the helicopter. The Sheriff then let us into his truck and we started the drive to Grand Rapids. This seemed to take WAY longer then it should. I know that Katie and I talked, but I have no clue what we said. I do remember saying that I couldn't wait to tell Christian that we got to ride in the back of a police car and that he got to ride on a helicopter. I should also note that this whole time I felt that Christian was going to be OK. I thought that he would make it through. Death was never an option or thought.
On the way to the hospital I logged onto Christian's Facebook account and posted this. "This is Christians dad, please pray for Christian, he drowned and is unresponsive, his heart is beating and they have him breathing on a ventilator. PLEASE PRAY!"
This is all I can manage to write for now. Looks like this is going to be a two part post.
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