‘He’s Got to Pull Through’: Officer Prays as 8-Year-Old Fights for His Life After Pool Accident
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“He’s got to pull through”: Officer prays as 8-year-old fights for his life after a pool accident. For one family in Irvine, California, that desperate prayer followed a rescue made possible by two officers who were across the street when every moment mattered.
Dad Realizes His 8-Year-Old Son Is Missing From the Pool
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Erick Setiawan had brought his 8-year-old son, Kingsley Setiawan, to a pool party. He wore arm floaties and played with friends in the shallow end. But while his father’s attention shifted for a split second, the boy moved toward the other side of the pool.
Erick said he took only 14 steps before realizing Kingsley was missing. He searched the jacuzzi, bathroom, and barbecue area. Then he felt an urgent urge to look somewhere else.
Following that prompting, Erick found Kingsley facedown in the deep end. He dove in, pulled his son from the water, and began CPR.
Across the street, Irvine Police Department officers Alex Mendoza and Ramon Lerma were working a security detail when the emergency call came in. Their proximity put trained help within reach during a terrifying fight for Kingsley’s life.
Officers Perform CPR as Kingsley Fights for His Life
They immediately took over CPR. Kingsley remained unresponsive as they worked, water and mucus coming from his body. For five minutes, the officers continued. Then, as paramedics arrived, they finally found a pulse.
Their actions were heroic in the most immediate, human sense: they stepped into a father’s worst moment and kept working for a little boy who could not help himself. As the ambulance carried Kingsley away, Alex prayed.
“He’s got so much ahead,” he said. “Please, he’s got to pull through.”
Kingsley Returns Home Just Three Days Later
Three days later, Kingsley went home without brain damage.
For Erick, an Army veteran who had experienced deployments, nothing compared with the terror of seeing his own son fighting for his life. Now, that fear has given way to deep gratitude for everyone who helped bring Kingsley home.
The family later reunited with both officers. They also learned Alex had rescued two children from a burning home as a rookie, an act that earned him a Medal of Valor. This time, the reward stood before him: a little boy alive and able to speak his thanks.
“Thank you, IPD, for saving my life,” Kingsley said.
Irvine police urge families to designate a water watcher whose sole responsibility is to watch children in the pool, even when they wear safety gear. For the Setiawans, that reminder carries the weight of an afternoon they will never forget, and the officers who were close enough to answer when their son needed them most.
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“He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him.” Psalm 91:15
WATCH: ‘He’s Got to Pull Through’: Officer Prays as 8-Year-Old Fights for His Life After Pool Accident
LISTEN: Family Grows From One Child to Five With Quadruplets | Diagnosed with Leukemia, Teen Completed a Full Marathon From Hospital
h/t: CBS News
Featured Image Credit: YouTube/CBS LA
Originally published October 19, 2026.
