“You'd think it'd be, like, some weird circumstance or some strange thing -- and it's not."
Bode Miller and Morgan Beck Miller are speaking out following the death of their 19-month-old daughter, Emeline, after a swimming pool accident last month.
The couple -- Bode an Olympic skier and Morgan a professional beach volleyball player -- spoke to Savannah Guthrie in an interview that will air in full on Monday’s Today show. In a first look at the sit-down, the couple expresses both their overwhelming grief and disbelief at how quickly a drowning can take place.
“I can attest from firsthand experience now that it's unbelievable quick and it's unbelievable sneaky,” Bode says in the clip. “You'd think it'd be, like, some weird circumstance or some strange thing. And, it's not. It just happens in the blink of an eye.”
“It is literally -- a child under 30 pounds can drown in 30 seconds. I just keep counting to 30 in my head. That was all I needed," Morgan, who is currently pregnant, emotionally adds. "And so, it's one of those things where, as a parent now, when you go to someone else's house, survey the home to see if it's a safe place for your child to be.”
After the tragic death of their child, both Bode, 40, and Morgan, 31, shared their grief on Instagram. "Our baby girl, Emmy, passed away yesterday. Never in a million years did we think we would experience a pain like this,” Bode wrote. “Her love, her light, her spirit will never be forgotten. Our little girl loved life and lived it to its fullest everyday. Our family respectfully requests privacy during this painful time."
The couple has now made it their mission to get the word out about swimming pool safety.
“We want to thank our friends, family and every one of you who sent a message, said a prayer or donated for the overwhelming expression of support - we are truly touched and blessed,” they each wrote in separate Instagram posts in June. “Our midwives started a gofundme campaign to raise funds and we intend to donate these funds raised to worthwhile causes connected to water safety education. We are inspired to make our baby girls memory go forth and help prevent as many drownings as possible. We will post more soon on our plans and efforts.”
Just last week, Morgan took to Instagram once again to mourn her daughter and urge parents to take drowning seriously.
“It’s been 37 days since I’ve held my baby girl. I pray to God no other parent feels this pain. My heart is with you @nicolehughes8 as we walk this journey together. And thank you @scarymommy for helping us spread awareness,” she captioned a pic of Emeline in the snow.
“Drowning is the NUMBER ONE cause of death in children ages 1-4. We talk about vaccinations, car seats, organic foods, screen time, etc at length...but not the number one risk your childrens’ lives face...a silent killer,” Morgan continued. “It takes SECONDS. Please share and help us spread awareness. It’s the first step to preventing these types of tragedies. #drowning #drowningprevention #truthaboutdrowning”
The couple is also parents to a 3-year-old son, Nash, while Bode, a three-time Olympian, has two other children, daughter Neesyn and son Samuel, from previous relationships.
Here’s more on this tragic story:
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