Bystanders enjoying a nice day out on a pier in Daytona Beach, Florida, were stunned Monday when they saw an upsetting scene unfold nearby. A young boy, later confirmed to be just 5 years old, was in the ocean, clearly struggling to keep his head above water. But wasn't the most disturbing part: His father was nearby — and as witnesses watched his behavior, their stomachs started to turn.
John Bloodsworth threw his son in the ocean while yelling at him to swim before leaving the struggling child alone to repeatedly dive off a nearby pier, WESH reported.
In fact, the reason the boy was in the water to begin with, witnesses say, is because Bloodsworth, 37, had thrown him in to "teach him how to swim."
I repeat: The man THREW his 5-year-old child into the ocean to fend for himself! (Sounds like this guy needs to reread the definition of a swimming lesson.)
"The little kid was out here by himself. Completely by himself," said Mitch Brown, who was having dinner with his family on Main Street Pier at the time. "There was nobody around him, no adults."
The Daytona Beach News-Journal also reports that no lifeguards were on duty at the time.
As the scene grew more worrisome, Brown got up and did what apparently no other bystander had the guts to do: He confronted Bloodsworth.
You see, Brown also just so happens to be a retired Georgia state trooper, and he knew that what he was witnessing was more than just shocking — it was grounds for an arrest.
Approaching Bloodsworth on the pier, Brown told him point-blank: "You're coming with me, one way or another.'"
Luckily, Bloodsworth complied, and the child was soon safely out of the water. Still, the whole ordeal was likely traumatizing.
"The kid was already very visibly upset and crying, and he didn't want to be there," Brown told WESH.
"It’s terrible. Who would do that? It just doesn’t make any sense," another witness, Lori Seal, told FOX 35.
But if you think Bloodsworth was at all remorseful for his actions, think again.
According to reports, he found nothing wrong at all with his little "swimming lesson. In fact, while he was being booked at Volusia County Beach Safety headquarters, the dad allegedly said that he was "going to jail for being awesome."
And what's more, he said he'd be coming back to the pier soon to jump off again — and next time, he'd bring his daughter.
Hopefully, that won't come to fruition, because he was issued a trespass notice barring him from returning to the pier and surrounding area. He's also facing a child abuse charge and a charge for disorderly intoxication in public in connection with the incident. (Because yes, it may come as no surprise that Bloodsworth was under the influence at the time of his arrest.)
Also here's hoping this dad realizes just how lucky he is that his child didn't drown on his watch. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, two children younger than 14 die from drowning every single day — with Florida having some of the highest rates, depending on the year. Ocean waters pose additional risks, because rip currents can overpower even experienced swimmers.
FOX 35 Orlando reports that the child, who was thankfully unharmed, has been released to his mother.
