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Toddler Hero: 2-Year-Old Saves His Baby Brother From Drowning On Christmas Eve

September 5, 2025

What started as a joyful Christmas getaway for a Texas family nearly turned into tragedy when their 1-year-old son slipped into the backyard pool of their vacation rental.

But thanks to the actions of his 2-year-old brother, the little boy’s life was saved.

Security footage of the rescue / Denver7 News

The incident happened on Christmas Eve 2024 in Scottsdale, Arizona, while relatives gathered to celebrate. Adults were cooking and playing games while a few older children swam in the pool. In the midst of the activity, the family’s youngest child wandered outside and fell into the pool unnoticed.

But the boy’s older brother, just 2 years old, had spotted him in the water. Surveillance video shows the child dropping his beachball and rushing to alert an adult cousin nearby.

“He tugged my shirt hard,” the cousin later told police. When the cousin looked toward the pool, he saw the one-year-old floating face down.

“Whenever I pulled him out, man, he was...blue. I think a couple of seconds more, he would have been gone,” he said.

“I’ll never get that image of him out of my head,” the mother told police.

The cousin quickly began CPR and managed to get the child breathing again before paramedics arrived. According to the child's mother, the boy is doing fine today.

It’s a frightening reminder of how quickly accidents can happen — but also a powerful story of bravery. Thanks to the awareness of a 2-year-old big brother and the quick actions of family, a Christmas tragedy was averted.