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SALT LAKE CITY — Jenneka and Kris Christiansen say they look at life differently than they did a week ago. Their 15-month-old boy Karson nearly drowned in an irrigation ditch in their backyard in Salina.
"He was definitely gone," his father said Tuesday.
"He was blue and not breathing, no pulse that they could find," his mother said.
On the evening of April 20, Jenneka remembers there was frantic activity in her home shortly before Karson disappeared. It was about 5:30 p.m., and she was getting ready to go to the Republican convention in Salt Lake City; Kris was getting ready to go camping.
"[My husband] was hooking the trailer up and I was packing the rest of my things to go out of town," Jenneka said. "Before we knew it, the baby was gone."
She described it as a bolt of mother's intuition that sent her straight to the irrigation canal in the backyard. It was Kris who first spotted the boy's shirt.
When they reached Karson and pulled him from the water, he was blue, not breathing and had no pulse. Family members believe he'd been in the water for 8 minutes.
"He was basically dead," Jenneka said. "It was horrific. That's the only word I have to describe it. It's a mother's worst nightmare."
Jenneka started CPR on her son, but then started to panic, so a neighbor named Angel stepped in.
"She took over for me, and probably saved his life," Jenneka said.
Angel continued CPR until the medics arrived and took over. Karson was then rushed to the hospital in Richfield, and ultimately flown to Primary Children's Medical Center, where his improvement has been nothing short of amazing.
It was horrific. That's the only word I have to describe it. It's a mother's worst nightmare.
–Jenneka Christensen
Karson was likely under water six to eight minutes, and doctors told his parents he might have gone without a heartbeat for 15 minutes.
Dr. Charles Pruitt, an emergency room physician at Primary Children's, said most kids under water that long are not so lucky.
"After about two minutes in the water, children typically lose consciousness," Pruitt explained. "And then irreversible brain damage starts at about four to six minutes."
The Christiansen family has struggled lately. Kris broke his thumb while working out of state Christmas night, then lost his job in February. Jenneka lost her brother two months ago.
"This is what's important in life — not money, not anything else other than family and your kids. And we value it so much," Jenneka said.
She and Kris say Karson's near catastrophe puts life in focus.
"Be careful and watch the babies by the ditches. They get away fast," Jenneka said. "And just value your family and what you have every day."
"And get fences up," Kris added.
If you'd like to help out with their bills, there are accounts* set up in Karson Christiansen's name at Zions Bank and Utah Independent Bank.
