'It was therapeutic': Boy reunites with off-duty paramedics who rescued him from drowning

Angie DiMichele, South Florida Sun Sentinel on Jun 9, 2026

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FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- Tyonne Nelson was celebrating his birthday with family at a Lauderdale-by-the-Sea resort last month when tragedy nearly struck in an instant.

Nelson, of Miami Gardens, had spent an hour at the beach near the Plunge Beach Resort with his 5-year-old son, Tyler, on May 24. When the boy got hungry about 4 p.m., they headed to the resort pool to relax and eat, Nelson told the South Florida Sun Sentinel on Monday.

Nelson asked his older son to watch Tyler while he went to the pool’s bar to get them food, “and just that fast, everything happened,” he said. Tyler fell into the pool and began to sink.

Two off-duty South Florida firefighter/paramedics and two nurses happened to be at the resort pool that afternoon, too, and the “training took over,” Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Lt. Jesus Fuentes said at a news conference Monday, where Tyler reunited with those who saved his life.

Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue firefighter Broderick Espinoza said at the news conference that his sister-in-law first pulled the boy from the water, and he immediately began CPR on Tyler. Fuentes rushed over to search for the boy’s pulse, but he had none, Espinoza told reporters.

Espinoza continued performing CPR until Tyler’s pulse eventually returned. They placed the boy on his side for him to expel the water he swallowed, and they stayed with him until on-duty Pompano Beach Fire Rescue crews arrived and took him to the hospital.

Tyler left the hospital two days later, Fuentes said at the news conference.

“I think it’s nothing short of a miracle for Tyler to be here today … It was definitely right place at the right time for us, I believe,” Fuentes said.

Nelson told the Sun Sentinel that his son is “100% right now” and doing well. He started swimming lessons on Saturday and will be celebrating his sixth birthday at Disney World this weekend.

“It was therapeutic to meet the actual people that actually saved our son’s life and everybody that was involved,” Nelson said. “We could also show that Tyler is doing well.”

Espinoza urged parents to enroll children in swimming lessons, supervise children around water at all times and learn CPR. Now that summer vacation has arrived, “things like this happen often,” he said.

Water safety tips

•Sign children up for swim classes. The Florida Department of Health statewide offers a swimming lesson voucher program for eligible families with children less than a year old and up to 17 years old.

•Ensure layers of protection are in place at home pools, including supervision and physical barriers.

•Learn CPR. Different age groups require different techniques. Classes are offered in Broward County through several local cities and fire departments, Broward Health, American Red Cross and the American Heart Association. Classes are offered in Palm Beach County through Palm Beach County Fire Rescue, American Red Cross and others.