U.S. Olympic skier Bode Miller and his wife, Morgan Beck Miller, continue to mourn the death of their 19-month-old daughter, Emeline "Emmy" Grier, after she drowned in a California swimming pool in early June.
According to the Orange County Fire Department, paramedics performed CPR at the scene before rushing her to a nearby hospital, but unfortunately, they weren't able to resuscitate her.
The couple announced the devastating news on Instagram, along with several photos and videos of the blue-eyed toddler.
"We are beyond devastated," Miller said in the somber post. "Our baby girl, Emmy, passed away yesterday. Never in a million years did we think we would experience a pain like this. Her love, her light, her spirit will never be forgotten. Our little girl loved life and lived it to its fullest every day."
Now, a little over a month since the tragedy, Emmy's mother is speaking out to raise awareness about drowning so another parent doesn't have to experience the same pain she and her family are going through.
"It's been 37 days since I've held my baby girl. I pray to God no other parent feels this pain. My heart is with you @nicolehughes8 as we walk this journey together," Morgan wrote in the caption, bringing attention to another mom whose child also drowned.
She then put an emphasis on the need for parents to speak about water safety as much as they discuss topics like car seats and vaccinations.
"Drowning is the NUMBER ONE cause of death in children ages 1-4," Morgan continued. "We talk about vaccinations, car seats, organic foods, screen time, etc at length...but not the number one risk your children's' lives face...a silent killer. It takes SECONDS. Please share and help us spread awareness. It's the first step to preventing these types of tragedies."
She also placed some attention on a link in her bio and urged parents to read a story written by another parent whose child died after drowning on a recent family vacation.
That parent is Nicole Hughes, a mom who lost her three-year-old son, Levi, while holidaying in Fort Morgan, AL, just a couple of days before Emmy.
"It happened so quickly. I don't know how Levi got away from us as we were cleaning up from dinner, or what lured him to go outside alone," Nicole wrote. "I was the one who found him, face down, in the deep end. Just moments before this horrific discovery, I split a brownie with him. I still had the other half of the brownie in my mouth when I jumped into the pool to grab my son. Mere moments, seconds."
Like Morgan, Nicole is using her pain to help other mothers and fathers. She created a non-profit called Levi's Legacy to advocate and promote water safety.
"Lying in bed and sobbing will not bring him back (oh, but if it would). I don't want this role of water-safety advocate. I want 30 seconds back on June 10. But I am determined to share these facts I so desperately wish I had known."
Morgan and Bode also donated money raised by their midwives through a GoFundMe campaign to "worthwhile causes connected to water safety education."
"We are inspired to make our baby girls memory go forth and help prevent as many drownings as possible," the couple wrote on Instagram.
The 40-year-old gold medalist and Morgan, 31, tied the knot in 2012, and share two children together, including Emmy. Shortly before their little girl's death, the couple revealed that they were expecting their third child.
In addition to their three-year-old son Nash Skan, Miller is also a father to two children from previous relationships, daughter Neesyn, 10 and son Samuel, 5.
We hope this message will be a reminder to parents everywhere to prioritize water safety.
