Mother Saves Child but Drowns in DeLand

A mother tragically lost her life after saving her young child in the St. Johns River on Saturday. 43-year-old Nicole Grayson is said to have drowned after swimming to her 4-year-old son. The Volusia Sheriff’s Office detailed the drowning in a statement released Sunday. The mother and son were at Ed Stone Park in DeLand when the incident occurred at around 4:00 p.m. on Saturday. According to the VSO, the 4-year-old fell into the St. Johns River. He was said to be playing with something near a fence when he dropped it into the water. In the process of attempting to get it back, the child went into the water. After seeing her son fall, Grayson is said to have jumped into the water to retrieve him. A witness to the incident reportedly got the attention of nearby boaters, who tossed two life preservers toward the pair. Grayson was able to lift her son above the water so the boaters could pull him to safety. While doing so, she herself reportedly became submerged. Another witness jumped into the water to assist Grayson, and helped get her into the boat. Early in the incident, emergency responders were contacted and the rescue appeared to happen while they were on their way. The second witness reportedly performed CPR until responders arrived, at which point they took over. Grayson was transported to a nearby hospital where efforts continued to try and save her life. Tragically, she could not be revived. At 10:00 p.m. on Saturday, around six hours after the initial incident, she died in the intensive care unit.