Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
SAN JOSE, Costa Rica — A Utah family living in Costa Rica said their life has been forever changed after their 13-month-old nearly drowned and was brought back to life by the quick actions of his mother.
The Lloyd family from Provo always wanted to enjoy the beauty of Costa Rica. In June, the couple took a leap of faith and moved their six boys down to a home just outside the country's capital.
"It enlivens the soul, quite a bit. Especially after Utah summers," Joshua Lloyd said. "There's lots of mountains and greenery."
On July 5, their youngest son Zeth snuck away from the family while they prepared breakfast. His mother realized he had not been seen in a while and began to panic.
"Everybody jumps up and of course the first place we all run to, because it's the place we're most scared of finding him, is the pool," Lloyd said.
Their worst nightmare came true when they saw Zeth's lifeless body in the property's pool.
"My wife saw him first, face down in the water, floating, not moving," Lloyd said. "When she pulled his body out of the water, he was dead. There was no life in him."
His wife jumped into action and began performing CPR while the whole family prayed for Zeth to come back to them.
"She felt like God kind of took over her body," Lloyd said. "She started doing CPR in an odd way, giving him mouth to mouth, and she felt like God actually started breathing life back into him."
After 30 minutes of lifesaving efforts, paramedics found the home and rushed the toddler to a local hospital.
"At the very beginning, even for a couple of days, we were not convinced he would make it," his father said.
After a couple of seizures, the family said Zeth started showing signs of improvement. The family said this experience was nothing short of a miracle, and they are grateful for the lessons it had taught them.
"If God asks a sacrifice of you, you do it, even though it might be the most painful thing you've ever gone through," Joshua Lloyd said.
Zeth was released from the hospital after a little over a week and is expected to make a full recovery. The family is crediting the prayers they have received from all over the world, including ones from complete strangers, for his quick recovery.
Friends have set up a *GoFundMe account to help the family pay for his medical bills.
*KSL.com does not assure that the money deposited to the account will be applied for the benefit of the persons named as beneficiaries. If you are considering a deposit to the account, you should consult your own advisers and otherwise proceed at your own risk.
