Exclusive: Doctor Helps Rescue Child Who Nearly Drowned In Main Line Creek
BERWYN, Pa. (CBS) -- Since last Monday evening, Melissa Schweiter says she knew her 12-year-old son Logan had a guardian angel here on earth. She even knew his name: Dr. Michael Beers.
But she had not met him. That is, until Tuesday.
In an effort to spread the word of her son's story – and raise awareness about a fundraiser for his medical care on Wednesday (see below) – Schweiter and Dr. Beers both spoke with Eyewitness News.
Watch the video...
Last Monday evening, Schweiter's son Logan and two friends were playing near a branch of Ithan Creek in Radnor Township. It had just rained heavily, and the creek was swollen and running rapidly. It was clearly dangerous to most adults, but for young boys it was tempting.
"He was being a normal 12-year-old boy," Schweiter said. They "decided that it would be fun to jump in with the floats [from a nearby pool] and take a ride."
She said the boys quickly realized their mistake and Logan's two friends were able to scramble to shore. But he was quickly swept several hundred yards downstream into an underground culvert.
Luckily, Dr. Beers, who lives nearby, heard the commotion and went outside to help.
"I heard a voice in my head. I think it was probably the fire rescue guys. I heard a voice that said, 'Which way does the water run?'" Dr. Beers said. "I knew it came out 200 yards down."
Dr. Beers took off into a neighbor's backyard – and immediately found Logan, who at this point had been in the water for about 20 minutes.
By the way, Beers also happens to be a critical care doctor at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. His specialty: lungs.
"It sounds funny coming from a man of science of medicine, I think it was divine. There's no other way to explain it," he said. "I went into a neighbor's yard, looked in the bushes, looked through, and the boy was there. Absolutely, you can't explain that to a man of science or medicine how that happens. I went exactly to that spot."
Still, Logan suffered brain damage, especially to areas of the brain that control movement and vision. He's being cared for at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and has not yet regained consciousness, but his mother is hopeful.
She says Dr. Beers is actually not the only angel who's gotten involved in this story. The Schweiters' neighbors, Dave and Debbie Niggeman, are throwing a fundraiser Wednesday for Logan's long term medical care at the McDonald's they own in Berwyn. They are donating all the profits from dinner and a car wash to the family.
Here are the details of the fundraiser:
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
4:00pm – 7:00pm
Car Wash and Dinner
McDonald's – 260 West Swedesford Road, Berwyn, Pa.
Reported by Ben Simmoneau, CBS 3
