A Georgia family is mourning the death of their 2-year-old son, Brigham "Briggs" Ingram, nearly a week after his father rescued him from drowning in an Alabama lake. The boy’s father, Josh Ingram, is fire captain at the Polk County Fire Department in Berman.
The family had been vacationing at Lake Martin in Alabama. As they were packing up on July 17, Briggs wandered off. When his father saw the toddler’s shirt in the water, he immediately pulled him out of the lake and began CPR. Sadly, the boy eventually died in the hospital.
There were signs the toddler might survive.
It’s not clear how long the little boy was in the water before his father discovered him, The Telegraph reported. Josh worked on Briggs for more than half an hour before help arrived. He was able to get a heartbeat, but the boy reportedly wasn’t breathing very well. Eventually, Briggs was airlifted to the University of Alabama at Birmingham Children’s Hospital.
Initially, it appeared that Briggs would pull through. Daniel Norton, a fellow Berman firefighter, told 11 Alive that even though things looked grim at first, there was renewed hope as Briggs’ vital signs improved. His breathing stabilized and there was increased brain activity.
‘We are heartbroken for our brother firefighter and friend,’ the Polk County Fire Department wrote on Facebook.
Sadly, on July 22, Briggs succumbed to his injuries. The Polk County Fire Department released a statement via its Facebook page.
"We are heartbroken for our brother firefighter and friend Captain Josh Ingram and his entire family for the loss of their son on Friday. We ask the community to join us in continued prayer and support for the Ingram family at this time, and offer whatever assistance you can to them."
The department collected donations for the family at local businesses and asked that the community respect the Ingrams' privacy during this "heart wrenching time." Briggs' funeral was held July 26.
The community has raised thousands to support the Ingram family.
As of July 24, the community has been able to raise more than $15,900 for the family through a local fundraiser. Norton also launched a GoFundMe page that is accepting donations.
At the time of publication, more than $28,000 of its $30,000 goal had been donated. The fundraiser was meant to cover medical expenses the family would incur during Briggs’ hospitalization.
The family is encouraging other parents to learn CPR.
Although this incident ended tragically for the Ingram family, the fire department is encouraging community members to learn CPR.
The family told 11 Alive that the only reason Briggs had a fighting chance was because his father knew the lifesaving technique. "A lot of the success stories that are associated with CPR come from immediate defibrillation started, which is what Josh provided for him," Norton told 11 Alive.
Drowning is the leading cause of death among children 1 to 4 years old, according to Safe Kids Worldwide. Young children can drown in as little as 1 inch of water, so it's important to keep them within arm's reach without being distracted when you're near water, both inside and outside a home.
‘He was truly a sunshine to all who knew him.’
Briggs was born December 26, 2019. He "loved fire trucks and tractors, his laugh was positively infectious, and he truly was a sunshine to all who knew him," his obituary read.
In addition to his parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents, Briggs is also survived by his sister, Ally Ingram.
