Bode Miller revealed he and wife Morgan are expecting another child less than a year since the drowning death of the 19-month-old daughter Emmy.
The Olympic skier and his wife, along with Nicole Hughes, who also lost a child in a drowning incident, appeared on CBS This Morning Wednesday to discuss their new initiative bringing guidelines to prevent such tragedies.
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During the visit to the morning news show, Bode and Morgan revealed they were expecting another child, though its gender and expected birth date were kept under wraps.
Emeline drowned in a swimming pool at the Millers’ neighbors’ house back in June 2018 in Coto de Caza, California, where paramedics attempted CPR at the scene before transporting her to a nearby hospital where she passed away.
After the tragic loss, the Millers partnered up with the American Academy of Pediatrics to create new Public Service Announcements informing parents on the dangers of drowning, CBS News reports.
New guidance says swim lessons can be beneficial for children after age one, and home pools need to be surrounded by four-foot fending and a locked gate.
Bode said during the appearance on the show that he is found it terrifying that most child drowning incidents, including Emmy’s, tend to occur during “non-swimming time.”
“Kids are crafty and they get out fast and this whole process, I think the terrifying part about this time of year is you know the kids are thinking it before the parents are,” Miller said. “It happens quick and it happens when you’re not swimming. You’re cooking and the kid’s gone for that amount of time and you’re left with a lifetime of, sort of, regret.”
Hughes, who is also expecting a new child after the drowning death of one of her kids, said their work is meant to ensure parents and pediatricians start thinking about pool safety as they do car seats and seat belts.
“Drowning is just as deadly and just as preventable as car accidents and as these illnesses. So if we could just approach it with that same urgency. It is 100 percent preventable. You can keep your child alive,” Hughes said.
Four months after losing Emeline, Bode and Morgan Miller welcomed son Easton. Bode previously revealed how the new baby’s arrival helped ease their pain from the tragic loss.
“If there’s one thing that can help to heal and fill that spot in your heart, it’s a baby. And he’s a special one,” he said. “Besides the lack of sleep, it’s been a really nice process to go through.”
Morgan also made headlines in April when she shared video clips of Easton in his swim lessons, putting the initiative’s teachings into practice.
