Nicole Grayson, 43, died Saturday evening after jumping into the St. Johns River at Ed Stone Park to rescue her son when he fell into the water. The incident occurred around 4 p.m. when the boy, who was playing near a wooden fence along the river's edge, dropped an object and fell in while trying to retrieve it.
Grayson immediately entered the water after her son. Witnesses reported that she expended all her energy keeping the child above the surface. A passing boater, alerted by a witness, threw two life preservers toward the mother and son. The boater was able to pull the 4-year-old child to safety. The boy was unharmed.
During the rescue effort, Grayson became submerged. A 911 caller reported that rescuers had reached the child but were struggling to recover his mother. Another witness, Jon Reaka, jumped onto the boater's vessel and assisted in pulling Grayson out of the water. Reaka began performing CPR, and emergency medical personnel continued lifesaving measures upon their arrival. Grayson was transported to a hospital, where she died around 10 p.m.
Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood praised the witnesses and the boater for their actions and offered condolences to Grayson's family. He stated that Grayson would be remembered as a hero, not only for her final act but as a mother who would do anything for her children. Grayson was a mother of six.
