'I love you, baby girl': The tragic final moments of Morgan Miller's daughter before she died
For a parent, losing a child is the most devastating experience. Olympian Bode Miller and his wife Morgan lost their 19-month-old baby girl Emeline Grier just about two months ago. Emeline died after she drowned in their neighbor's pool. Morgan Miller recently took to Instagram to express their longing for their daughter and to address the unfortunate incident. She shared a photo of her and the little girl moments after the incident and wrote, "I wish I could have one more day to hold you, but until that day comes, continue to work through me and give me the strength to bring awareness, my love."
In the photo, the child is being tended by medical professionals in what appears to be the final moments of her life. The photo shows Miller shedding tears. She also wrote, "I told you as I held you in this moment that you could still change the world, you could still move mountains. Every step we take forward is because of you and Levi. Your footprint will forever be left on this world. I love you, My baby girl."
Emeline reportedly died on July 9 in a pool around 6:30 pm in Coto de Caza, California. The Orange County Fire Department said that although paramedics had rushed to the scene where they performed CPR, in spite of the efforts, she could not be saved.
Bode was not at the scene and Morgan was inside their home nearby. Morgan had realized that Emeline had gone "missing for just a short amount of time." The horrified mother had found the daughter in the pool and when she pulled her out, they called the paramedics. She and her friends also tried bringing her back with CPR but failed.
Morgan, 31, is expecting another child, their third one together. The incident has clearly been devastating to the parents. Morgan has been urging parents and guardians to be more aware of water safety guidelines around their children. In a series of Instagram posts, she has been writing about water safety regulations and it's terrifying death statistics.
In a photograph she posted on July 18 of Emeline in a cute white jacket posing in the snow, she wrote, "I often find myself wanting to reach into videos and pictures and just pull you out. Searching for ways to bring you back so our family is whole again. So our hearts are whole again. We miss you so much, my love. Parents, Grandparents, Siblings, Aunts and Uncles, EVERYONE….Please don’t rely on the visual stimulant of water to create your awareness," she said.
"Understand that almost 70% of drownings occur when your children are not expected to be near the water. When you think they are in the playroom or on the sofa watching tv. Always be aware of water and place as many barriers between your child and those bodies of water as possible (locks, door alarms, pool fences). None of us are immune to this devastatingly life-changing statistic. It can happen so fast and forever change your world," she cautioned.