Family tried their best to make backyard pool safe for son, 2...then tragedy struck the day after his mom's WEDDING
A Virginia toddler tragically drowned in a backyard pool just one day after his mother's wedding was held at the same location - despite having a safety fence surrounding the water.
Cameron 'Cam' Massie, a two-year-old from Richmond, was playing in the backyard of a family home on the 8300 block of Bowers Lane Sunday afternoon with several young relatives, while his mother tidied up after her wedding celebration the night before, WWBT News reported.
But in a heartbreaking turn, it took only a split second for tragedy to unfold - Cam was found unresponsive, floating in the pool just steps away from the home.
The two-year-old boy was tragically pronounced dead just hours later.
'We all love him,' Shannon Clay, Cam's mother, told WTVR News. 'He was the sunshine of our life.'
Early Sunday afternoon, Shannon was straightening up the backyard of a family member's home following her outdoor wedding the night before, as relatives slowly began departing after a weekend of celebrations.
Cam was outside beneath the tent where the wedding reception had been held, overlooking the in-ground pool, playing with a few of his young relatives.
As she was sending everyone off, Shannon stepped inside to say goodbye to a few uncles, leaving the children outside for just a moment.
However, just seconds later, one of Cam's uncles frantically screamed, 'Oh my God, the baby is in the water', WTVR reported.
The mother of three, along with other family members, immediately rushed outside, pulling Cam from the pool and desperately performing CPR as emergency responders were called to the scene.
Henrico Fire Department crews arrived at the home shortly after 2:00pm and rushed the two-year-old to a nearby hospital, where he was sadly pronounced dead just a short time later.
Although the pool was surrounded with a gated fence protecting the open water, Cam still managed to get inside.
The family believes he may have been small enough to slip through an opening in the barrier, as reported by KWTX News.
Now, Cam is being remembered as a ray of sunshine in his family's life - a little boy with a heart so big, he would often share hugs with strangers.
A GoFundMe page has since been set up to support Shannon's two other children and help cover the costs of Cam's funeral expenses.
As of Wednesday morning, the fundraiser had raised over $1,000 toward its $3,000 goal.
'Look after your kids,' Shannon told WTVR, warning other parents to stay hyper-vigilant around their children.
'Don't let them out of your sight even for a split second,' she added.
Sunday's fatal accident comes just days after the husband of a famous social media influencer - who home with his toddler when he drowned in the backyard - blamed a missing pool cover and being 'distracted' by his newborn son for the tragedy.
Emilie Kiser, a popular mommy blogger on TikTok, lost her three-year-old son Trigg on May 18 - six days after he was found unresponsive in a backyard pool in Chandler, Arizona.
Brady Kiser, Trigg's father, allowed his son to go play in the backyard after eating lunch - just before the tragedy unfolded, AZ Central reported. Emilie was reportedly out with friends at the time.
He saw his three-year-old son playing near the pool - something police records note was 'not uncommon' - and while the pool was usually covered for safety, this time it wasn't.
However, the Brady was 'soon distracted' while caring for their newborn son and took his eyes off of Trigg for a mere three to five minutes.
When he turned his attention back to the little boy, he was met with a horrifying sight - Trigg's lifeless body floating in their backyard pool.
Brady immediately burst into action, jumping into the pool to retrieve their son before calling 911 to their home.
Officers performed CPR upon arrival before firefighters took over medical care.
Trigg was transported to Chandler Regional Medical Center, then transferred to Phoenix Children's Hospital, where he died on May 18 after remaining in critical condition.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Guardian
an hour ago
- The Guardian
Rodney Scott confirmed as head of CBP by US Senate despite ‘cover-up' claim
The US Senate on Wednesday confirmed Rodney Scott as commissioner of Customs and Border Protection (CBP), despite a former top official accusing him of orchestrating a 'cover-up' over the death of a man detained while trying to enter the country from Mexico. Scott was confirmed on a party-line vote, with 51 Republicans in favor and 46 Democrats opposed, along with three absences. 'I'm honored that the United States Senate has confirmed me, and I want to thank President [Donald] Trump and Secretary [Kristi] Noem for their trust and unwavering leadership,' Scott said in a statement following the vote. 'I started my career on the frontlines, and now I am ready to lead my CBP family with integrity and a clear mission to defend our sovereignty, enforce the law, and put America first.' He will take charge of one of the largest federal law enforcement agencies, which staffs ports of entry across the United States and also includes the border patrol, which he led from 2020 to 2021. Border patrol agents have recently been seen on the streets of a Los Angeles suburb as part of Trump's campaign to arrest suspected undocumented immigrants. Massive protests have broken out in response, and CBP has publicly announced that it is using drones to monitor demonstrations in the region. A critic of Joe Biden's immigration policies and supporter of Trump's desire to build a wall along the border with Mexico, Scott was nominated by Trump in December to lead CBP. Shortly before his confirmation hearing before the Senate finance committee in April, James Wong, a former deputy assistant commissioner of CBP's office of internal affairs, wrote to the committee's top Democrat with 'concern' about Scott's handling of the investigation into the 2010 death of Anastasio Hernández Rojas in San Diego, after he was beaten and tased by CBP agents who were preparing to deport him. As San Diego's police department was investigating the death, a CBP critical incident team used a subpoena to obtain Hernández Rojas's medical records, which Wong said Scott would have known about given his position at the time as a top border patrol official in the city. 'The use of a CBP administrative subpoena for this purpose was blatantly unlawful, and anyone signing it should have known that,' Wong wrote in a letter to the committee's Democratic ranking member, Ron Wyden. 'This was not an investigation, it was a cover-up – one Mr Scott supervised. This abuse of power disqualifies him from leading one of the largest law enforcement agencies in the country.' At the hearing, Scott described the subpoena as 'information gathering' and a standard part of such investigations. Asked by the Republican finance committee chair, Mike Crapo, if he had acted 'to interfere with the investigation of that case', Scott replied: 'Absolutely not.' In 2021, a House oversight committee report found that Scott was a member of 'I'm 10-15', a private Facebook group for border patrol agents in which participants insulted members of Congress and posted 'racist and sexually violent content' directed at lawmakers. Scott told the finance committee: 'There were 9,000 people on that group. To say that a few that actually posted something inappropriate, were held accountable, and were disciplined are a reflection of everyone else on that group, I think, is just a [mischaracterization].' When the committee convened again in May before voting to advance his nomination to the Senate floor, Wyden warned Scott would act as a loyalist for the president: 'We don't need to question what Mr Scott would do if given a questionable order from Donald Trump, because we already know he has a history of covering up the truth when it benefits him in a willingness to enable Donald Trump's worst impulses to target American citizens exercising their constitutional rights.' Crapo said Scott 'knows what policies make CBP effective, and I'm confident he will implement these policies as soon as he is confirmed'.
The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
Bryan Kohberger judge tells both sides to prepare for trial despite defense request to delay
The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice An Idaho judge told both the prosecution and defense to prepare for Bryan Kohberger's highly-anticipated quadruple murder trial to go on as planned in August despite the alleged killer's request to delay the proceedings. Kohberger, 30, who is accused of killing four University of Idaho students, appeared in the Ada County courtroom on Wednesday for the pre-trial hearing as Judge Steven Hippler weighed whether to delay the trial just six weeks before jury selection is set to begin. The judge heard arguments from Kohberger's team saying his right to fair trial was being impacted due to a recent episode of NBC's 'Dateline,' which revealed previously unreleased case details they claim could improperly influence a jury. Kohberger's attorney Anne Taylor said that their request to push back the trial was 'necessary to protect' her client's constitutional rights. open image in gallery Kohberger's attorney Anne Taylor said that their request to push back the trial was 'necessary to protect' her client's constitutional rights ( AP ) She also said they are 'not prepared to go to trial in this case' and that the 'discovery is vast, and we have not had a chance to review it all.' Prosecutor Josh Hurwit, pushed back and said a delay puts the state at the 'whim of the media' and warned against a 'perpetual continuance.' 'A scorched-the-earth investigation is not what's required,' Hurwit said. 'The court should exercise its discretion to deny the motion' to delay the trial. There was no immediate ruling but instead Judge Hippler said he will issue a written order on the decision. He said that it's likely the trial will go on as planned later this summer. 'I fully encourage everyone to continue as if the trial is going to take place when it is scheduled for. Again, I reserve the right to write the decision that I come to,' he said. 'But as of now, I would tell you that it's likely you're going to trial on the date indicated.' Kohberger is accused of killing Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle, Madison Mogen, and Kaylee Goncalves, four university of Idaho students who were found stabbed to death at an off-campus home in Moscow in November of 2022. open image in gallery Ethan Chapin, 20, Madison Mogen, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and Kaylee Goncalves, 21, were killed in 2022 ( Instagram ) Weeks later, the PhD student was arrested in Pennsylvania after police allegedly linked him to the crime scene using DNA recovered from a knife sheath, according to a probable cause affidavit. Investigators also traced his location using his cell phone and obtained surveillance video showing a car appearing to be the same make and model as his driving away from the scene of the murders. According to Kohberger's defense team, he was driving by himself on the night of the murders and he maintains his innocence. He has been charged with four counts of murder and one count of felony burglary. He faces the death penalty if convicted.
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Nepo baby son of Pulitzer-winning novelist charged with brutal rape
The son of Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Michael Chabon has been charged with brutal rape, as prosecutors say he choked and beat the victim while he molested her. Abraham Chabon, 20, was charged on June 12 with second-degree strangulation and first-degree rape in connection with the alleged January 25, 2024 attack, the New York Post reports. Prosecutors say the New York University student grabbed the victim by the neck, constricting her airway and making it difficult for her to breathe. Chabon then allegedly carried the victim to a bed, where Manhattan prosecutors say he raped the woman and 'struck [her] repeatedly in the face... causing stupor and loss of vision in one eye.' But Chabon maintained his innocence as he appeared in court for the second time on Wednesday. 'Abe is innocent and was as shocked by these false allegations as anyone,' his attorney, Priya Chaudhry, told the Post. She noted that her client 'has strong family support and a devoted partner, who all believe in his innocence. 'We hope the prosecutors' investigation reveal his innocence quickly,' Chaudhry continued. 'Meanwhile, we prepare to fiercely fight this false allegation and clear this gentle young man's name.' Chabon is now out on bail, after Manhattan Criminal Court Judge Kacie Lally set his bail last week at $45,000 cash or $150,000 bond. The amount was not an issue for the nepo baby, whose mother is Israeli-American novelist Ayelet Waldman, and whose father is known for his books Wonder Boys and Telegraph Avenue. The elder Chabon also received a 2001 Pulitzer Prize for fiction for The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, and was inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Letters in 2012. His son now faces a prison sentence of five to 25 years if he were to be convicted on the rape charge.
