The couple and their 19-month-old daughter, Emeline, were at a neighbor’s home in California Saturday when the infant was found unresponsive in a pool.
Olympians Bode Miller and Morgan Beck will donate the funds raised for their family in the wake of their daughter’s drowning to water safety education efforts, the couple announced in an emotional social media post.
The couple and their 19-month-old daughter, Emeline, were at a neighbor’s home in California when the infant was found unresponsive in a pool Saturday.
She was rushed to a local hospital, but died the next day.
Since the toddler’s death, hundreds have donated to a GoFundMe page and joined a meal train, both of which were created by Beck’s midwife, Lindsey Meehleis.
“As the family navigates through the path of grief and sorrow that no parents should ever have to experience, I would like to call on the community and ask to help take the burden off of the mountainous medical bills that will soon pile in and the memorial service costs," Meehleis wrote on the GoFundMe page.
By Wednesday, the page had raised more than $26,000.
"We want to thank our friends, family and every one of you who sent a message, said a prayer or donated for the overwhelming expression of support — we are truly touched and blessed," the couple shared on their Instagram accounts.
But instead of using the money for themselves, Beck and Miller wrote they plan to share the proceeds from the GoFundMe page to "worthwhile causes connected to water safety education."
“We are inspired to make our baby girl’s memory go forth and help prevent as many drownings as possible,” they wrote.
The couple said they will share further details about their plan in the near future.
It was not immediately clear how Emeline entered the pool, but she was believed to have been in the water for several minutes before her mother found her.
Beck immediately jumped in to rescue her daughter and someone at the house began performing CPR on the little girl as another partygoer called 911.
“C’mon baby girl!” the woman could be heard repeatedly saying during the call.
The call ended as emergency responders arrived at the home, where they too performed CPR before rushing her to a nearby hospital. Emeline's death was being investigated, authorities said.
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