Submitted by
Sherri
Devin's Aunt

It was a Saturday evening much like any other. It was right around sunset and the weather was perfect. Devin was in the front yard playing with his seven-year-old cousin Matthew. The yard is big, maybe a half an acre. The property sits along-side a canal that, only a week earlier, was empty.  Two homes sit on the property and the entire property is fenced.

Devin has always been fascinated with the canal, with any water for that matter. In fact, he had a baby pool when he was very young and would dive in even if the water were very cold.  He started to put his head under the water just a few months prior to the accident; he would hold his breath, dunk his head, and then come up from the water with the biggest smile he could find.

Devin is fearless.  For that reason, his mom and his grandma watched him like a hawk.  He is an adventurous little guy that always has a dirty face and scrapped knees…in short, a boy in every sense of the word.  Devin, with his adventurous spirit, saw an opportunity that Saturday…

The man living in the house in front of Devin’s had been moving furniture that day and on the last load forgot to close the gate.  Devin’s mom, Michelle, seven months into her second pregnancy; was in and out - as was his grandma, watching the boys.  Devin was riding his toy truck on the porch in the company of Matthew who was chasing him around. 

Michelle was watching from the window.  She was sewing something.  She looked down to thread a needle and looked up again to see that Devin was not on the porch or anywhere in her line of sight.  She and Grandma went outside and began calling his name.  He always answered to his name.  Matthew had become distracted with a tree in the east part of the yard but Devin was not with him. 

Michelle, starting to become scared, headed toward the gate, which was open about 12 inches.  She immediately started screaming.  As a parent, you can’t imagine the possibility of something terrible having happened to your child - but your heart tells you something is wrong.  She started screaming, “Oh my God, he must be in the water.” 

The neighbors heard her frantic screams and began to help in the search for Devin. Grandma was running up and down the street screaming, “Call 911.”  Everyone in the neighborhood was calling out Devin’s name.  The canal was moving at a steady pace.  It was getting dark and Michelle’s worst fears were beginning to be realized…

Neighbors called the fire department.  A fireman that lives along the canal about a half-mile downstream immediately set up a command post and the search for Devin in the water began.  In a matter of minutes all of the local agencies were involved. 

As you can imagine, the terror and the pain of knowing something awful has happened to your only child…your little boy, began to set in.

There was hysteria everywhere. People were crying and screaming. Devin’s aunt actually jumped into the water in hopes that she could feel for him. We will never know whether Devin jumped or fell into that water.  Our minds struggle when we go there at all.  Just the thought of him falling, of him being scared and thinking we would rescue him.  Holding his breath, until he could hold it no longer.

Ten minutes after the search began, Devin was spotted almost a half-mile from home, floating face down in the canal with his shirt off. The fireman that saw him threw in a ladder to try to “catch” Devin. Devin’s lifeless body traveled through the ladder, and was about to go into a drainage ditch.

Johnny Franquero, a man that lived along the canal, watched as the ladder attempt proved unsuccessful; he then jumped into the water and pulled Devin out.  He handed our sweet little boy to the fireman that was standing along the bank.  Both Johnny and the fireman began CPR and within minutes Devin was being transported to the hospital.

The family was realizing their worst fears…trying to comprehend that Devin was not alive.  Agonizing over the details of how far away from home he was and how long he must have been in the water.  The awareness of how scared he must have been and how he must have struggled was so overwhelming that it became surreal.

It’s almost as if God knows it’s too much to handle when he gives you the ability to step outside of your circumstance for a moment so that you can function. The pain is so palpable that you can’t hardly walk or breathe.  You are lost.  All you can do is fall to your knees in prayer.

Devin was in the water for 18 minutes.  The water was cold and dirty and he traveled for a half-mile before he was rescued.  His naked body, lifeless and cold, was recovered and by all accounts should never have come back to us.  And yet, after 45 minutes of no heartbeat that is just what he did…he came back!!

We expect that Devin met Jesus that day and they together decided that Devin has more to do here on earth.  Together they decided that the blond-haired, blue-eyed little boy would live to be a miracle and a hope for all who are and/or will be acquainted with him in his life.  He is that for us, I hope he is that for you…