\nDiving underwater to cool off can be the perfect way to relax at the height of the summer, right? So what about when something touches you? It\u2019s most people\u2019s worst nightmare. There can be a whole host of things lurking under the water, but when this man felt something brush up against him in the lake, he knew he had to act fast. Many of us would have been swimming for the shore without looking back, but not this man.
\n[post_page_title]Fun at the lake[\/post_page_title]
\nMany of us enjoy spending time outdoors in the summertime. The lovely weather, the fresh air, and the heat of the sun make for the perfect combination. That is until it comes to cooling down. All of a sudden, every pool of water and ice cold beverage look appealing.
\n
\nSometimes, we just need to dive headfirst into some water to cool off. Lakes are great places to have all the fun in the sun. That is until something brushes past our leg that makes us wonder what could possibly be lurking beneath the surface.
\n[post_page_title]An unknown feeling[\/post_page_title]
\nAngelo Mondragon was just 32 back in 2015 when he thought about spending one July day at the lake. It was hot, and Windsor Lake in Colorado, was the perfect place to cool down.
\n
\nAngelo was busy enjoying his time in the water and splashing around when everything changed. Out of nowhere, something from the depths of the lake brushed past his leg. Angelo had no idea what it could be and wasn\u2019t sure if he wanted to hang around to find out.
\n
\n[post_page_title]A feeling like no other[\/post_page_title]
\nThere is no feeling in the world like taking a dip into the water. That is until the ultimate nightmare comes true and something touches us. What could be lurking beneath all that liquid?
\n
\nSure, it was probably just a fish or a slippery rock, but what about if it was a human-eating monster ready to drag us to the bottom of the lake? We think that is when it\u2019s probably time to leave. It\u2019s a feeling that many of us want to avoid, but one that Angelo was never going to forget.
\n[post_page_title]Always around water[\/post_page_title]
\nAngelo usually spent most of his days at work where he earned money as a plumber. However, it was on this hot day in July that he thought he would head to the lake for an afternoon of fun.
\n
\nAngelo set down his things and began to wade into the water. It wasn\u2019t long before he was up to his waist in the lake. Although it wasn\u2019t too deep, Angelo couldn\u2019t see to the bottom of the water. He was just happy to enjoy a cool off and enjoy some time away from the heat.
\n
\n[post_page_title]Something under the surface[\/post_page_title]
\nThe plumber continued to venture deeper and deeper into the water. It was almost too good to resist. However, as Angelo got further into the lake, he felt something brush past his leg.
\n
\nUsually, Angelo wouldn\u2019t have thought any more about it. There must be plenty of fish lying beneath the surface. Only, this didn\u2019t feel like something you would usually find in the water. Angelo wanted to find out what it was so kicked his leg back to bring it up to the surface.
\n[post_page_title]From another planet[\/post_page_title]
\nThere have been weird things found in water and lakes all around the world. It looks as though some have little explanation as to how they got there.
\n
\nIt was back in 2012 that an unusual specimen was first spotted between Finland and Sweden at the bottom of the Baltic Sea. The object measures around 200-foot long, and is almost entirely circular. No one has any idea what it is or how it got there, but many believe it\u2019s related to aliens.
\n
\n[post_page_title]Double whammy[\/post_page_title]
\nIt was at the bottom of Lake Michigan that a team of archaeologists were about to uncover a mysterious discovery that would leave them questioning.
\n
\nThe crew spotted a Stonehenge-like structure sitting at the bottom of the lake, but it got even stranger. As well as being unsure how the stones got there in the first place, the team were also baffled by the mastodon engraved onto the rock. The mammoth-like creatures haven\u2019t been on Earth for over 10,000 years.
\n[post_page_title]No humans[\/post_page_title]
\nBack in 1942, a number of incredibly well-preserved skeletons were pulled from the bottom of Roopkund, a lake found in the Himalayan Mountains. However, they have had people scratching their heads ever since.
\n
\nThere were never any known settlements in the area which had people wondering how the remains had got there in the first place. Plus, in 2004, scientists were even more confused when they discovered the remains were dated from somewhere around 850 CE.
\n
\n[post_page_title]Take a seat[\/post_page_title]
\nThere are strange finds at the bottom of lakes, and then there is this discovery. A person from Reddit was happily exploring Pavillion Lake when they were left doing a double take at this strange sight.
\n
\nThat\u2019s right; somehow a chair had made the way to the bottom of the lake. It looked as though someone had been in desperate need of a seat 115 feet below the surface of the water. No one has any idea how this chair came to end up in this watery position.
\n[post_page_title]A grave sight[\/post_page_title]
\nMany things have disappeared underneath the surface of the water only never to be seen again. So how about when an entire town sinks below the surface of the water? That\u2019s what happened when Bluffton, a town in Texas, was submerged and turned into a lake.
\n
\nAlthough it looked as though Bluffton was gone forever, it seems as though the town had other ideas. The water eventually drained away only to reveal the tops of tombstones and buildings protruding from the surface.
\n
\n[post_page_title]The tell-tale clue[\/post_page_title]
\nAlthough there could have been a whole host of things underneath the surface, Angelo never expected to look down and see toes beneath the water. It was about to get a lot worse.
\n
\nIt seemed as though the foot was that of a child. Angelo knew that he needed to step in quickly as there was no way this little one should be beneath the water, let alone brushing past his leg. Time appeared to stand still as Angelo tried to process what was happening in front of him.
\n
\n[post_page_title]Discovering the worst[\/post_page_title]
\nAngelo swooped down and scooped the child up to the surface before he even knew what he was doing. The plumber soon noticed what he had been fearing. The young girl was already \u201climp\u201d and \u201cblue.\u201d
\n
\nHe needed to get to the edge of the water – and fast. Angelo began to pull the child to safety as quickly as he could, but he needed help. He was calling for someone to help him with the casualty, but Angelo also needed to find her parents.
\n
\n[post_page_title]Luck on his side[\/post_page_title]
\nThankfully, it looked as though luck was on Angelo\u2019s side as he reached the edge of the lake. He had been screaming for help the entire time he was making his way to the edge and urged someone to call 911.
\n
\nHowever, as he got the girl out of the water, Angelo was greeted by two off-duty nurses who had been enjoying some time at the lake, too. All three began performing CPR on the youngster. Unfortunately, they had no idea how long she\u2019d been under the water.
\n
\n[post_page_title]A name to a face[\/post_page_title]
\nIt turned out the little girl in the lake was three-year-old Sitlali Hernandez. Thankfully, it wasn\u2019t long before the emergency services were at the lake and they were able to take over, rushing Sitlali straight to Loveland where she received help at the Medical Center of the Rockies.
\n
\nFrom there, Sitlali was moved on to Aurora where she stayed at the Children\u2019s Hospital. No one had any idea how long she had been under the water, and there were plenty of tests that needed to be done.
\n
\n[post_page_title]Right place at the right time[\/post_page_title]
\nUnfortunately, Angelo knew how differently the day could have ended had he not been in the right place at the right time.
\n
\nThe plumber admitted that if Sitlali was under the water for any longer, then the chances were he would have been involved in a search and rescue mission. Angelo was just overwhelmed to have been the one to drag her to safety. Now, he wanted to visit Sitlali and check on her condition, but visiting hours were limited to family members only.
\n
\n[post_page_title]\u2018My baby\u2019[\/post_page_title]
\nThat only family members could visit the toddler was somewhat ironic, as our heroic plumber was – in a manner of speaking – a family member of Sitlali\u2019s, or considered himself to be one, at any rate.
\n
\nSpeaking to the mom of the girl who now owed her life to him, Mondragon told her that, \u201cWhen I saw the baby\u2019s toes, that became my baby.\u201d In his mind, then, he wasn\u2019t scrambling to save a stranger, but his very own child – which is probably why he succeeded acting with such urgency.
\n
\n[post_page_title]Parental superheroes[\/post_page_title]
\nPerhaps what gave Mondragon that little extra boost he needed to save Sitlali\u2019s life was that he himself was a father of three. \u201cI reached in and I pulled her out like I would any of my babies,\u201d he said.
\n
\nWe often hear tall tales about parents who lifted cars to get to their children or performed other heroic feats of strength, but here was a real-life case of a parent acting without thinking to save a child – who wasn\u2019t even his own!
\n
\n[post_page_title]A memorable embrace[\/post_page_title]
\nEventually, Angelo was allowed to see Sitlali at the hospital. The plumber sat down on the bed only to give the little girl a huge hug.
\n
\nThis was the first time he had been able to see her conscious, and he was overwhelmed that she was still alive thanks to his quick-thinking actions. It wasn\u2019t long before everyone in the room was emotional. It was the scariest moment of most of their lives, but Angelo could sit back knowing that it was him that meant Sitlali was still here today.
\n
\n[post_page_title]A flood of tears[\/post_page_title]
\nAsked about his reason for coming in to see Sitlali, Mondragon had a simple answer. \u201cI\u2019m coming to let her know that I love her,\u201d he said, \u201cand she\u2019s a part of my family now.\u201d
\n
\nSitlali\u2019s mom, Emma Hernandez, tried to maintain her composure, but found it hard keeping a poker face when she saw – for the second time – the man thanks to whom her daughter was alive. \u201cYou saved her,\u201d she cried out, tears streaming down her face. \u201cYou saved my baby.\u201d
\n
\n[post_page_title]Not out of the woods yet[\/post_page_title]
\nDespite Mondragon\u2019s best efforts, Sitlali\u2019s condition was touch and go when she arrived at the Medical Center of the Rockies.
\n
\nShe suffered from hypothermia and her lungs were filled with fluid, not to mention doctors\u2019 concern that her brain may have been deprived of oxygen for far too long, possibly causing permanent brain damage. At the Aurora, Colorado Children\u2019s Hospital, she received the best possible care to ensure she was back on her feet as quickly as possible. But would it be enough? Had Angelo gotten her out in time?
\n
\n[post_page_title]A full recovery[\/post_page_title]
\nAmazingly, in what may be said to have been almost as miraculous as Angelo saving her life in the first place, Sitlali was alert and talking just a day after her too-close brush with death.
\n
\n\u201cShe\u2019s really strong, she\u2019s really strong,\u201d her mom said. After three days, she beat the odds yet again when she was cleared to go back home, with doctors telling her family that her lungs, heartbeat, and everything else was in tiptop shape. She had made a full recovery.
\n
\n[post_page_title]A grateful mom[\/post_page_title]
\nSitlali\u2019s mom was eternally grateful both for Angelo\u2019s act of heroism and for the fact that her daughter was able to make a complete recovery and go back to normal life. \u201cMy baby was gone and now she\u2019s back,\u201d she declared.
\n
\nStill, her mind kept coming back to those moments of seeing Angelo rushing to shore with her baby girl. \u201cI would keep yelling at him, \u2018What\u2019s going on?\u2019 Is she breathing?\u2019 and he wouldn\u2019t answer,\u201d she reminisced, recalling the unpleasant moments that were so full of uncertainty and terror.
\n
\n[post_page_title]Unimaginable fear[\/post_page_title]
\nPeople who have been blessed with children will shudder at the mere thought of their own children being in the same situation.
\n
\nWhat it must have been like for Emma, seeing a complete stranger suddenly rushing out of the water holding her little girl, who seemed like she was at death\u2019s door. The anguish of that moment is unspeakable. Luckily for all involved, all\u2019s well that ended well. But we\u2019re certain Emma will never let Sitlali into water again unsupervised and without the proper precautions being taken.
\n
\n[post_page_title]Keeping cool and staying safe[\/post_page_title]
\nSummer is a time when many of us want to cool down, and the kids are no exception. Heading to the lake, the beach, or even the local pool can seem like the perfect way to spend a summer\u2019s day.
\n
\nAs well as being the ideal chilling spot, swimming can also be a great way to keep active and keep fit throughout the summer months. Unfortunately, all that water comes with a host of dangers that shouldn\u2019t be ignored. Thankfully, there are many ways we can keep children safe around the water.
\n
\n[post_page_title]Prevention is key[\/post_page_title]
\nOne of the many ways that parents opt to keep their children safe around water is to try and prevent a problem in the first place by teaching them to swim. It doesn\u2019t have to be much, but these lessons could one day save their life.
\n
\nPlus, it\u2019s important to check the area for any dangers before entering the water. This could include checking the depth before taking a dive. To top it off, many want others to ensure they watch their children the entire time they are in or around the water.
\n
\n[post_page_title]Life savers[\/post_page_title]
\nThe importance of wearing a life vest while splashing around in the water – for both adults and children alike – cannot be stressed enough.
\n
\nYou might think that if you or your kids are good swimmers, you don\u2019t need one – but experts say that\u2019s wrong. Moreover, having your little ones decked out in arm floaties isn\u2019t enough, as they could still potentially go under if the water is rough enough. Long story short, your child should never enter water without a life vest.
\n
\n[post_page_title]Keeping safe[\/post_page_title]
\nAlthough swimming pools come with their dangers, it\u2019s the rocks in the sea and lakes that can cause issues for anyone – especially youngsters. They could be sharp which means water-safe shoes are definitely a wise investment.
\n
\nPlus, it\u2019s vital to ensure that inflatables are always supervised. Although they might seem harmless, things could soon head south if people aren\u2019t careful. The final warning is usually to keep an eye on any currents that might add further complications.
\n
\n[post_page_title]Something strange[\/post_page_title]
\nAngelo was just overjoyed to see that Sitlali was going to go on and make a full recovery after her time under the water. He couldn\u2019t believe how lucky it was that he had been in the exact right spot at the right time.
\n
\nPlus, Sitlali\u2019s family were eternally grateful to their daughter\u2019s hero. However, Angelo couldn\u2019t help but notice something about the situation. He saw that as he dragged Sitlali from the water, the youngster hadn\u2019t been wearing a life jacket.
\n
\n[post_page_title]Changing the world[\/post_page_title]
\nIt wasn\u2019t long before Angelo began to approach local businesses to try and prevent another accident from happening. He knew that if Sitlali was wearing a life vest, then things might have had an entirely different outcome.
\n
\nHowever, not everyone had one or could afford a jacket of their own. Angelo now wants to try and make sure that no one else ever ends up in the same situation as Sitlali – or even worse, one that doesn\u2019t have quite such a happy ending.<\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

\n[post_page_title]Two drownings in a week[\/post_page_title]
\nIncredibly, Sitlali\u2019s near-drowning was the second water-related incident to have hit the small town of Windsor in one week. On the very same day Sitlali was rescued, a little girl named Skylar Sue Liston celebrated her fourth birthday with her family.
\n
\nSix days later, she drowned at an above-ground pool. She was dropped off there by her parents, for someone else\u2019s birthday celebration, but the day ended in tragedy. She was taken to the same hospital – the Medical Center of the Rockies – as Sitlali, but it ended much differently.<\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

\n[post_page_title]Appealing to the people[\/post_page_title]
\nSkylar\u2019s family was shattered with news of her tragic passing, ruled to have been an accident by authorities. However, they weren\u2019t going to let it be in vain.
\n
\nHer family created a GoFundMe page in her memory, hoping to both raise funds for her memorial service and help make sure something similar never happens again. Their plan was to pay for swimming lessons to underprivileged families, and life jackets for the area\u2019s pools. The campaign\u2019s goal was to raise $10,000, and it reached $11,350 – donated by 177 people.<\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Diving underwater to cool off can be the perfect way to relax at the height of the summer, right? So what about when something touches you? It\u2019s most people\u2019s worst nightmare. There can be a whole host of things lurking under the water, but when this man felt something brush up against him in the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":72,"featured_media":72428,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[39],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-72309","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-stories"],"yoast_head":"\n