NEED TO KNOW
- A 12-year-old boy and his 10-year-old sister both died after they went under water during a family swimming trip in north-central Alabama on Saturday, May 30
- Their mom and bystanders tried to save them, but they were later pronounced dead at a hospital in Birmingham, Ala.
- “They were precious children,” mom Lolisa Hood told a local outlet
A mother is opening up about her grief after being unable to save her son and daughter, who drowned in an Alabama creek over the weekend.
“They were precious children,” Lolisa Hood told AL.com following the deaths of her 12-year-old son King Gotti Scott and 10-year-old daughter Lola Marie Scott on Saturday, May 30.
“I truly love my children and I was there. I was there trying to save my children.”
The mom said that she was able to rescue her 14-year-old son, Bryan, but “I just couldn’t save the other two.”
That Saturday afternoon, the family wanted to go swimming after plans to go to a water park were canceled.
“I took them to two splash pads and they were closed,” Hood told the outlet.
“They said, ‘Mama, what about that creek you said you always wanted to take us to,’ and I was like, ‘Okay.’
Hood took her children to Turkey Creek Nature Preserve in Pinson and had them read the signs outlining safety rules before they went into the knee-deep water. They played in the creek, and when it was time to go leave, King, Lola and Bryan turned left instead of right, accidentally entering a section of the waterway that was about eight or nine feet deep, she told the outlet.
While the frantic mother was able to save Bryan, who was closest to the bank, she couldn’t reach the two younger children, according to the outlet. The mom called 911 and asked two women passing by to help, before flagging down four men in a truck as they passed by.
On Saturday, just after 4 p.m. local time, deputies and first responders were dispatched to 3906 Turkey Creek Road in Pinson following a report that two siblings had gone under the water at the nature preserve, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.
“Preliminary investigation revealed that the children were there with their mother near the bank when the children went under the water,” officials said.
After being pulled from the water, the siblings were transported to a children’s hospital in Birmingham, according to the sheriff’s office.
Despite lifesaving efforts, by 5:15 p.m., King was pronounced dead, followed by his sister two minutes later, Jefferson County Coroner Bill Yates confirms to PEOPLE.
An investigation into the circumstances surrounding their deaths is ongoing.
“Mama is so sorry king & Lola,” she added. “[I] truly thank God for allowing me to be your mom.”
In a separate message shared on a GoFoundMe set up to help support her family, Hood wrote that she “fought desperately to save my children, and while I am heartbroken that I could not save all three, I am grateful that I was able to save my surviving child, Bryan.”
“This is a pain no mother should ever have to endure, and now I must navigate the devastating loss of two children while caring for my surviving child,” she continued. “Please keep us in your prayers. Thank you in advance for your support, generosity, and prayers during this difficult time.”