Granger Smith and his wife, Amber, are sharing new details about the heartbreaking death of their son, River. The little boy was only three years old when he drowned in the family’s swimming pool on June 6, while the entire family, including daughter, London, and son, Lincoln, was playing outside.
“I was 20 feet away,” Granger recalled of the tragic day, in a new interview on the Today Show. “I was playing gymnastics with my daughter. He was outside of the locked gate with our other son. There wasn’t music playing; there wasn’t any kind of distractions. It was just a quiet, 7 p.m. summer evening. It was so silent. There wasn’t a splash; there wasn’t any kind of call for help. I just saw him. I turned around, and I saw him.”
“We had a pool,” he added, “and didn’t know that it’s the leading killer.”
The couple has become outspoken advocates for water safety in the year since they lost their youngest child, hoping their unimaginable pain can save the lives of other children.
“I would have thought a year ago, supervision — just watch your kids. Just watch them,” Granger acknowledged. “And I know now, from my own experience, that no human being on this planet is capable to say that’s enough. Because that requires 24/7. And if you add a gate, that’s not enough. If you add swimming lessons, that’s not enough. Pool alarm, it’s not enough.”
“Most of the times it happens when children are not supposed to be swimming,” Amber added. “People will say, ‘Watch your child,’ but it happens so fast. It’s just it’s so fast, and it’s so quiet. It’s not like you see in the movies, splashing around. It’s just silent.”
Not only could River swim, but both Granger and Amber were with him when he slipped away, which both parents say is one of the biggest lessons from their loss.
“(If) you take every precaution you can, and you’re well-educated and you know how fast it can be, you’re much better off and you’re much better protected,” Granger said.
The family is still finding, or maybe choosing, to find reasons to smile, while they continue on with the loss of their little boy.
“Going through the worst of what I hope we ever have to go through, we still have joyful moments,” Amber said. “We choose to find joy, and you have to.”
“You have to choose that,” Granger added. “You have to make that decision.”
Both Granger and Amber continue to share water safety tips, especially as families play outside more in the warm summer months.
“We used to love swimming, but I wish I would have taken EXTRA safety measures for our family,” Amber posted on social media. “For one, we always used puddle jumpers. I wasn’t aware of the dangers of them … Please use [Coast Guard] approved life jackets if you must, on boats and open water, etc. I also wish we would have enrolled in swim survival lessons and done it sooner. Children can learn to float and should be enrolled in survival lessons at an early age.
“I wish I would have had an extra lock on our gate or a pool alarm,” she continued. “So many what ifs. Water is fun but it is also so dangerous. I will never look at water the same again. I don’t think I will ever enjoy a pool again. I’m open and vulnerable because I don’t want this to happen to anyone else.”
The loss of River has not only caused the Smiths to be outspoken advocates for water safety, but to also dig deeper into their faith.
“Having faith in a higher power, it’s the only thing that we’ve been able to hold on to in the darkest times,” Granger said.
To honor River’s life, the family created the River Kelly Fund, which helps in various areas, including those related to children, wildlife preservation, donor services, military and veteran services and more. Find more information at RiverKellyFund.org.
Photo Credit: Shutterstock / Joe Seer
