The following paragraphs contain Mariah Mecham's explantion of what happened to her and her son Cal on 26 June 2024.

Cal Mecham

At about 4:30 pm, we met my sister and her daughter at Springhill Suites Rexburg and swam in the pool there together. After a while I helped Cal take off his lifejacket so he could get out of the pool. Unbeknownst to me, he didn't get out and minutes later we saw his limp body face down in the water.

Blake Woodring

Panic set in. I screamed for help and a fellow guest, Blake Woodring of Utah, rushed to pull Cal from my arms out of the pool. He led me through the steps of mouth-to-mouth while others called 911.

Cal was limp, unconscious, had blue lips, and wasn't breathing. His eyes were open and unresponsive. Blake helped me lift his chin to get the air flowing into his chest better, and between breaths of mouth-to-mouth he would roll Call to his side and hit Cal's back and grab the food and bubbles coming out of his mouth. Then back to more mouth-to-mouth. Finally we got Cal to a shallow breathing and continued clearing his airway.

I will forever be grateful to Blake for being the right person there that day. His knowledge and immediate response saved Cal's life.

The EMTs helping Cal at 5:18 pm

About the time Cal had a few shallow breaths on his own, the ambulance arrived and the EMT's rushed in. They moved Cal to a bigger spot on the side of the pool and were able to identify a pulse. They pushed a needle of something into Cal's shin bone and another into his shoulder area and I was relieved to see Cal give a pain response.

One member of the emergency team stayed by me to explain what they were doing. I am eternally grateful to each one of them for what they did for Cal.

At 5:49 the ambulance took Cal and me to Madison Memorial Hospital. I'm so glad the EMT's let me ride with him. At this point I was considering the many long-term injuries Cal might have and was praying for miracles. Seeing the EMT's giving Cal their full attention helped me hope for the best.

Cal in the ambulance

My sister Ruby kept my daughter with her at the hotel to play and get dinner. So grateful to her for that.

Once we got to Madison hospital, a tube was placed in Cal's airway and X-rays were taken to ensure placement.

At 5:52 pm Doctor Wells, also our Stake President, arrived to help with Cal.

We had just had stake conference a few weeks prior, and it had been held outside at Heritage Park in Sugar City. When President Wells walked into the emergency room and I heard his voice, I immediately thought of Jesus, warm sunshine, and my feet touching the grass. I will always remember the feeling he brought to me that day.

My husband Drew arrived at 6:13 pm from his work in Idaho Falls in time to give Cal a blessing.

We got back into the ambulance to transfer Cal to EIRMC in Idaho Falls where they had a Pediatric ICU that could care for him.

As we drove to Idaho Falls, I watched out the back window with gratitude for all the cars of people who pulled over so that the ambulance could rush by.

At one point, an EMT asked, "How much longer?" and the driver said, "Almost to CostCo" and then I felt a little swerve as we sailed through the roundabout.

I still think of that every time I pass CostCo.

We arrived at EIRMC at 6:55 pm. All of the help there was amazing to me . The Emergency Room doctor asked me about Cal's story. He assured me that since Cal had been found within minutes of going under the water, the odds were in our favor for him not having brain damage. I so appreciated him being willing to say that.

By 7:21 pm Cal was stabilized and things began the settle down. The plan was to keep him sedated until morning and then see what to do, based on his levels through the night.

5:49 pm - Once we got to Madison hospital, a tube was placed in Cal's airway and X-rays were taken to ensure placement

5:51 pm - So grateful for the many people who knew what to do

5:52 pm - Doctor Wells, also our Stake President, arrived to help with Cal.

6:13 pm - My husband Drew arrived from his work in Idaho Falls in time to give Cal a blessing.

6:18 pm - This team of paramedics worked miracles for Cal. I will remember them forever.

6:21 pm - After Madison Hospital, we got back into the ambulance to transfer to EIRMC where they had a Pediatric ICU that could care for Cal.

Emergency room at EIRMC

7:39 pm - Our pediatric ICU doctor (in gray) was so attentive to Cal.

7:43 pm - leaving the emergency room to go upstairs to the PICU.

7:48 pm - The team got Cal settled into the PICU room

9:50 pm - our brother (white shirt) came to see us and brought us dinner.

Thursday, June 27, 7:01 am - Throughout the night when the sedation meds would begin to wear off, Cal would start sitting up and pulling at all the tubes and cords that were connected to him. Another good sign.

7:36 am - Sedatives wore off near 7:00 and once Cal started moving, the doctor had the nurse pull the tube out of his airway to see how he would do.

9:04 am - With the tube out, the doctor gave Cal some time to wake up more and then started poking at him to see what kind of response he could give. She asked him a few times, loudly, "What's your name??" and he finally responded, "Cal". *Big sigh of relief and gratitude!* Then the doctor prodded, "What's your last name??" He responded, "Cal Pal!" And then went back to sleep

4:51 pm - Dad/Drew came to take a nap with Cal so that his resting oxygen levels could be checked on.

8:27 pm Thursday night. I think it was by this time that the nurses let Cal stop wearing most of the monitors and would just check his levels occasionally. We settled in for another night. They were mostly monitoring his oxygen levels.

Friday, June 28, 4:21 pm - dressed and ready to go home. Oxygen levels good, lungs clear enough.

5:09 pm - leaving EIRMC. Once we passed through those doors, Cal asked me, "Mommy, why did we have to go to the hospital?"