A Zephyrhills man's children were rescued by a group of Good Samaritans after he accidentally let the stroller they were in roll into the Erie Canal in Rochester, N.Y. on Wednesday afternoon.
Jon Clanton, 48, the pastor of Grace Church in Zephyrhills, and his family were in New York for their 8-year-old Sam to get medical treatment for his eyes.
Clanton took Sam and his daughter Selah, also 8, for a walk along the canal. A neighbor said Selah was recently adopted from Ukraine. A local pastor who said he knew the Clantons told 13WHAM.com that Clanton had both children strapped into the double stroller on the canal path and he let go for a moment to look away.
The stroller managed to get away, begin to roll, go over a 10-foot embankment and into the canal. Clanton ran after the stroller and jumped into the water to save his children, but they remained trapped in the stroller as he struggled to free them.
A passing bicyclist noticed the family in the water and called 911. The Rochester Democrat and Chronicle reported two police officers and three Good Samaritans in the area raced to the canal and helped in various ways, including some jumping in the water and some delivering medical assistance. Officials told 13WHAM that three female University of Rochester students in their first year of medical school were included in the number who jumped in the water to help the victims.
The group struggled to get the children out of the stroller and out of the water. Both children sustained critical injuries after being in the water for an extended period of time, officers told the Democrat and Chronicle.
Police told Bay News 9 on Thursday that Sam is doing better, but Selah remains on life support and is not expected to live. "It's definitely a dire situation," Valerie Clanton said.
The Rochester Police Department's investigation was not completed Thursday, but officials said the incident does appear to be a horrible accident.
Along with two biological children, the couple adopted three children from overseas; the younger two of the three have special needs disabilities. Valerie said family and friends call her sister-in-law "Saint Yvonne" because "it's incredible what they've done" in taking in the children. According to the church's website, Jon Clanton is also a senior chaplain at the Zephryhills Correctional Institution.
"That's terrible," neighbor Larry Chauncey said, "as good as they are, for that to happen to them."
The family released the following statement Thursday evening:
We would like to take this opportunity to thank the Rochester Police and Fire Departments and the good Samaritans who helped rescue our children Sam and Selah yesterday after their stroller rolled into the Erie Canal. It is a miracle that the right people were there at the right time and the children are alive today because if it. Both Sam and Selah are special needs kids, which makes this tragic accident even more heartbreaking for us. Sam is doing well, but we ask everyone to pray for Selah, whose condition is grave. Selah is the newest member of our family, being recently adopted, but we love her like our own and pray it’s God’s will for her to pull through.
Although we call Florida home, we have traveled to Rochester many times over the last five years so that Sam could be treated by Dr. Aquavella at Strong Memorial Hospital. We are so very grateful for the care Sam has received, and for the support of the Ronald McDonald House which we call “Home” when we are here in town. The outpouring of concern from the Rochester community had been a comfort to us and we want everyone to know that we feel blessed to have you all praying for our family.
-Jon & Yvonne Clanton