The dramatic security camera footage was captured and shared by the family. When his mother had a seizure in their backyard pool, a 10-year-old Oklahoma boy saved her from drowning.
On August 5 in Enos, Oklahoma, Gavin Keeney saved his mother Lori, becoming her hero for the second time after attempting the Heimlich maneuver and dialing 911 in 2021 when his mother choked on food.
Gavin rushes up the ladder and jumps in as soon as Lori starts to scream in the video.
He reportedly did not call for assistance at all as he made his way to his mother, who was drowning, and lifted her chin above the water.
Grandpa Stephen Lowe, who enters the frame toward the end of the video, is able to lift both of them to safety after seeing that Gavin is unable to lift his mother out of the pool.
Lori said it was “one of the scariest moments of my life.”
Fortunately, Lori’s father, Stephen Lowe, who lives next door, was alarmed by the Keeney’s dogs and rushed to help his daughter.
Lori spoke to Storyful and said ‘I was told later that he never asked for help. My dad, who lives next door, heard the dogs barking and he ran out and jumped in as Gavin held me on the ladder and kept my head above water.’
Lori posted the video to Facebook and said ‘one of my worst nightmares came to life this morning.’
She said she was “hesitant” to share the video because it was “very, very hard for her to watch” and she didn’t like “for people to witness when I have a seizure.”
‘I’m okay, I took in just a little water we think before Gavin got me. I can’t believe I just said that. I can’t believe I’m typing this. I CAN believe what I saw in Gavin, my little hero,’ she said.
Gavin had to save his mother for the first time in May 2021 when she choked on a chip, forcing him to perform a Heimlich maneuver.
Gavin, however, was not strong enough to clear his mother’s airways and quickly dialed 911, directing firefighters to his mother, who was gasping for air.
‘She was still breathing, and we started the Heimlich maneuver,’ recalled Enos Volunteer Fire Department Chief Joshua Gilette. ‘After about the third or fourth thrust, it came free.’
10-year-old Gavin was awarded by the Kingston Police Department in Oklahoma for his actions in saving his mother.
“Due to the quick actions of this young man his mother didn’t swallow any water and is still alive to this day,” the police department wrote in a Facebook post. “Thank you Gavin you are a true hero and a positive light for this community.”