Bowers Blog: Fort Morgan 2018

WARNING: This is difficult to read.

I have put off writing this post for a week now. I am a terrible writer, and I felt like I just wouldn't do the story justice if I tried to write down my interpretation of it. Today, I got a text from Nicole Hughes asking me to write my version of THAT night down and emailing it to her. I knew then that I had to blog about it like I originally planned to last week. So, excuse my grammar and writing ability and just accept the story for what it is... a horrific nightmare.

We left for our annual Fort Morgan trip last Saturday, June the 9th. Ellie had started to run a fever the night before so we had dosed her up on Tylenol and Advil. No way were we missing any time on this trip. The weather was going to be perfect most of the week, and packing went beyond smoothly for us this year. We got down to Fort Morgan and the kids immediately hit the pools and the beach. It was a perfect day. We were so excited to see our UAB friends and catch up with one another. The Stuermann's brought pizzas that they cooked and dinner couldn't have been more perfect by the pool and hanging out. I put the kids to bed, with Ellie going to bed super early (for the beach) because her fever spiked again. She had to sleep on an air mattress in the room with Worth and I, and she was pretty upset that she was missing the fun in the girls' bunk room. She felt so sick though, that she didn't put up much of a fight. The first night, all of the moms were exhausted and couldn't stay up very long after the kids went to bed like we normally do. We vowed to get some rest and be ready to have our nightly chat the next night. The guys were downstairs in the garage area of the beach house boiling peanuts, listening to music, and laughing. It was a great day.

Sunday morning we all got up and had coffee and some breakfast. Myself and some others went for runs. It was so hot, but I do love a run at the beach. We all eventually made our way down to the tents and the beach for our annual bloody marys that Worth makes and our walk into the beautifully clear (this year) ocean. I even went out there, which I don't normally do. I usually don't like to marinate in the water, but it was so clear, and the temperature was perfect that I waded out there with Worth and Emma. Ellie was still just hanging out under the tent not feeling up to anything much but running her hands in the sand. Mack was running back and forth from the ocean, to the tent, to the pool. He was in heaven to be around other boys and playing boy games.

We spent all day like that. Just hanging out by the water. The kids took turns on the raft and Megan had rented a standup paddle board that she was taking kids out on. It felt awesome outside under the tent. Between chasing children, making lunch, grabbing drinks, grabbing snacks, etc., we were all able to gather throughout the day under the tent to chat and discuss life.

Nicole and I had a conversation that afternoon on the beach about the relationships between our 3 children. She discussed how Reece and Levi fought, but Lily would do anything for Levi. I discussed how all 3 of mine just fought ALL of the time, with Emma occasionally being a buffer to the madness. We laughed, and I proceeded to tell her how I had been similar to Lily with my feelings for my little brother, how he was always someone I felt I had to take care of, and still do at times. We laughed again and she said something along the lines of "I hope they always continue to have a close relationship."

When it was time for dinner, we all headed up for showers and to get the kids and dads ready for the annual crab hunting night. It was Katie's night to provide dinner and it was a fabulous ziti dish that I look forward to every year. We got the kids' plates made and they were eating and watching "America's Funniest Videos." Worth and I opened a bottle of Napa wine Bennesserie Phenomenon for everyone to have a glass. I made my plate, and sat down at the table with Hughes, Katie, Emily, and I think Russell or Ross was the other person at the table with us. Maybe both of them. Anyway, we were discussing turning 40. I am the oldest person in the group and therefore the first one to turn 40. Emily is not far behind me with a 40th birthday coming this month.

At the high top table near the doors that go out onto the balcony sat Megan, Worth, and Nicole. We were all kind of talking at our table and to them as the kids were hysterical watching America's Funniest Videos. Kids were milling around getting brownies, finishing their food, going potty, watching the show, etc. I'm almost positive I remember seeing Nicole talking to Levi and never thought anything about it. A few minutes/seconds later I saw Nicole leave out of the room onto the patio. I heard a loud scream/yell and looked up to see Nicole frantically pound on the glass door from outside. I heard (or thought, I'm not really sure) "somebody jumped!" I slammed my chair back from the table and scanned the room and didn't see my blond headed little boy. The next think I knew, I was down at the pool screaming from my gut "who is it? who is it?" The guys all rushed around and I could see a child laying on the pool side and couldn't see his hair. I heard "Levi!" and "Call 911!" being screamed by 3 or 4 people. Then, I saw the brown hair. I still didn't think it was Levi, because I had just seen him, it felt like seconds before. I said "Is it Connor?" I was frozen and couldn't process what had happened and what the hell was going on. Worth was doing chest compressions, then Ross jumped in, and Russell was there. They were all talking to each other like they were in an operating room. It was all happening so fast, but they were moving faster. I saw a little boy laying on the side of the pool with a yellow crab hunting shirt on and all I could think to do was start yelling "breath, please breath!" I think Worth then turned around and told me to go upstairs. At this point, I still couldn't figure out if it was a fall off of the balcony. I looked up on the balcony and saw and heard Katie while she was screaming on the phone with the 911 operator. I saw a man in a neighboring beach house jumping fences to get to us screaming that he was an EMT. The guys were opening an intubation kit that Ross had in his car, and were doing chest compressions on little Levi's body.

The next thing I knew, I was on the balcony holding Nicole who was crying, "This can't be happening, this can't be happening!" I tried to console her, then at the same time we noticed down by the pool, Hughes had backed away from Levi crying. Nicole said, "Oh God! Hughes is crying! This is bad, really bad!" I had seen it at the same time she said it and I felt the same way. She backed away and screamed and threw a chair over the balcony. I almost threw up in that moment. I heard the guys still shouting commands to each other in perfect sync, like a team in action. I heard someone say something about needing to suction him, and then I heard "I'll do it." They were suctioning him with their own mouths.

I ran to our balcony side of the house and I grabbed Caroline Wigton in my arms (she's Katie's daughter who is Ellie's age.) She was hysterically crying. When I walked in, Emma grabbed my leg and asked me where Mack was. I realized that I still had no idea where Mack was. Emma went upstairs and found him in Cole's room where he likes to play with all the toys Cole brings to the beach. She brought him to me and I had my kids and Caroline on one couch. Megan had come in with her kids and Cole (Katie was still on the phone with 911.) We sat down and asked the kids to pray with us. In that moment, I don't remember the prayers that I was saying, but I've never prayed so hard in my life. I would pray and get choked up, and Megan would jump in and pray, then she would stop and I would jump in. We just went back and forth like that forever. In the meantime, I hear Ellie crying, "Mama I'm passing out, everything's black, everything is black!' She fell into my arms and I picked her up and got her on the couch. She said, "mama what's wrong with Daddy! He jumped off the balcony, what's wrong with Daddy!" She then threw up everywhere. I assured her that it wasn't daddy and that he was down there helping Levi. I remember looking up at Megan and asking what had happened and she said "Levi was in the pool." My heart dropped. He drowned, but how did he get down there that fast? How did that happen? I had JUST seen him! I remember begging God to save him and in my head begging my dead relatives to ask God to send Levi back. What was taking the ambulance so long?

Seconds/minutes later Ross walked in our living room with Nicole, who was still soaking wet from jumping in the pool to get Levi, and Hughes, who was almost in a catatonic state. Ross sat them down and prayed with them. At that time, we grabbed all the kids and took them to an upstairs room. Then we (finally) heard the sirens. The boys were trying to look out of the window. Then the helicopter came. Mack kept looking out of the window and I had to keep pulling him away, crying. I kept making the kids pray with me. I'm sure I scared them so much, I just was so confused and shaking with fear. I had hope though, I knew how well kids can recover. I knew by the calculations in my head there was no way he had been in the water that long. "He's going to be ok" is what I kept thinking. How could he not, he had six doctors with him and was intubated before the ambulance got there.

I realized after we got all the kids to bed (Ellie literally collapsed on the air mattress,) that Worth had leaped off the balcony to jump in the pool to get Levi. I had not even seen this happen I had been so frantic to get down there to see which child it was. Worth soon came in and looked completely defeated. He put on dry clothes and was getting ready to take Nicole to the hospital. Ross and Eric had already left with Hughes to get to Mobile behind the helicopter. We all decided only one parent from each family needed to leave, so since Worth was going with Nicole and Megan, I stayed back with our children. I remember just trying to cry and still being in such shock. I quickly sent a text to a couple of family members to pray quickly for Levi, that it wasn't good.

Apparently, an investigator came and had to talk to Nicole (I mean really?) Russell went downstairs with her, and from what I understand gave the officer 3 questions to ask and then told him they were done. She was still soaking wet from the pool and her 3 year old son was being put into a helicopter. Give me a break!

Nicole tried to stay back with the girls, but the doctors from Mobile requested her to be there. So, Worth and Megan left with her. Emily and Jessica were left on their side of the house in charge of Lily and Reese, the other 2 Hughes children.

Jessica, Katie, Russel, Mike Shelton, and myself were left behind to man children and pray, which we did. We sat around for a while and tried to stay awake, but Mike Shelton recommended that at least a couple of us go to bed, because regardless of what happened, other children would be awake by 6am and need our attention. I went to my room and laid down, but never fell asleep. I was so nauseous, scared, hopeful, worried, sad, confused, tired, sad, sad, sad. I heard Worth come in from taking Nicole to Mobile (which was 1and 1/2 hours away.) I couldn't even bring myself to ask him what was happening and if Levi and woken up yet. I just felt like he would, knew he would!

The next morning I reached over and checked my phone as soon as I was getting out of bed. Here is a succession of the texts:

The remainder of the morning we all walked around in a fog. The guys and Jessica and Emily packed up all the Hughes things and Worth told me to pack our stuff. He and 3 others drove the Hughes car, trailer, Lily, and Reece to the hospital in Mobile. I wandered around aimlessly feeling like I was going to vomit every few minutes not knowing what to do, what to think, or what to say. In my head, I just couldn't understand how it happened. HOW???

I heard Mack screaming at me, "Mama! Mama! Look! A rainbow!" I finally went to the glass doors that opened to the patio and looked out. I immediately got chills. The rainbow was huge and a double rainbow. It was one of the most beautiful things I had ever seen. Bible verses about God's promises were streaming through my head as I held back tears. Megan came up behind me and I could tell by her face she felt the same way. She took a picture and said, "that is no coincidence!" We took the kids to walk down on the beach and I could barely keep it together looking at the rainbow, the sand, and the ocean. Everything seemed so calm, so quiet (minus our kids,) and so beautiful. I just wanted to scream "It's not fair!"

We all traveled home that day and have been in a fog over the last week. This past weekend we left our children behind to travel to Tennessee for little Levi's funeral. It was heartbreaking. After the visitation Friday night, we were all able to be together at the Hughes home. It was just us 12 adults. We hashed out our events of that night. We laughed and did some crying as well. We are bonded for life regardless now, sharing this event has changed ALL of us.

My heart aches for the Hughes family. I can't even fathom their pain. I wish so badly I could undo it. To change that night that destroyed our 7 years of fun at that beach house that we will never visit again. There are so many good memories there that are now washed away by the horrific memories of that night. I do believe that we will stick together as friends though. I know that I will be there in any capacity I can for the Hughes family and for their girls. I can't change what happened, but I can be present now and hopeful for the future.

Here are the only pictures I took on our trip:

Shortly after the tents were up Saturday night.

Kite flying

Mack and Worth untangling kites

Emma attempting to help

The hole digging began right away. I snapped this picture Sunday morning. Levi in his puddle jumper that he wore all day. Lily not too far from him. I think that is Will with the hat on.