Colorado Mom Drowns After Courageously Saving Her Son's Life At Lake Powell
Tragedy struck when Chelsey Russell lost her life while saving the life of her toddler.
A 35-year old mother from Colorado died after saving her son's life during a family trip in Lake Powell, Utah.
Chelsey Russell had her whole life ahead of her. After a recent divorce, Russell had just purchased a brand new home and was ready for a new beginning. She was an associate at the Denver law firm Welborn Sullivan Meck & Tooley, and specialized in Mineral Tile Examination & Regulatory Matters. The mother of two beautiful children, ages 2 and 5, Russell was ready to celebrate the end of summer when she brought her children with her for a trip with her mom and brother on a houseboat in Lake Powell.
Tragedy struck Tuesday afternoon when her 2-year-old son suddenly fell overboard. Instantly, Russell dove into the water to save her little boy. Neither of them wearing a life vest, the situation was terrifying.
Moments later, her brother rushed to help her and saw that she was unresponsive, with her son lying on her chest. Immediately, they called for help and the emergency rescue team arrived.
After performing CPR for 30 minutes, the first responders brought Russell to the marina where she was pronounced dead.
According to her family, Russell had suffered from heart problems early in her life. It was determined that her cause of death was a rare cardiac arrhythmia. The former executive director of the American Heart Association of Denver, Sheila Kemper Dietrich, described her as "a lovely lady who embraced who she was and the challenges she had."
Many people have spoken out about Chelsey, preaching how wonderful of a person she was. On the Welborn Sullivan Meck & Tooley website, the law firm wrote that "Chelsey was an amazing mother, an exceptional legal talent, an extraordinary athlete, a loyal and generous friend, and left us all better for knowing her. She is sorely missed." A partner at the firm told ABC NEWS, "she was a better mom than any other mom I've ever known. She would have done anything for her kids."
Russell leaves behind her two children, mother and brother.
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