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Eli And Silas Keslar Drown In Canal Because Mom Gets Distracted Trying To Swat A Bee Away

Jessiesgirl1108

Jessiesgirl1108

Chameleon
Something isn't sitting right on this one...

Two 18-month-old twins drowned in a canal in Arizona after their mother tried to swat away a bee and let go of their stroller, police in Yuma said.
Alexis Keslar was walking with her sons, Eli and Silas Keslar along the canal bank on Friday when she was distracted and the stroller tragically rolled away from her into the canal.
Keslar desperately tried to rescue her sons, but police have said finding a way down the steep banks proved too difficult and she watched helplessly as the strong current swept her children away.

Eli and Silas were pulled from the water one hour later and rushed to hospital where they were pronounced dead.

[...]

The toddlers are believed to have fallen in the water at 9.45am on Friday.
After a police search that lasted more than an hour, the brothers were pulled from the water.
They were flown by a U.S. Marine Corps helicopter to a Yuma hospital, where they were pronounced dead, Franklin said.
The area along the canal is used by families for walks and by joggers and a family member was nearby when the boys ended up in the water.
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http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...-let-twins-stroller-rolled-canal-drowned.html
 
Keslar desperately tried to rescue her sons, but police have said finding a way down the steep banks proved too difficult...

Well, the kids had no trouble finding a way down, did they? Great going, mom. If you had truly wanted to save them, you would have - or died trying.

Take a look at that picture of the alleged "steep banks." That's what kept her from getting to her children? What utter bullshit.

Same goes for the "swift" water...

She swatted at a bee and the stroller got away from her that quickly? What the fuck, did the thing have rocket boosters on it or something?

Awww, and look...$20K raised on GoFundMe already. Boy, this killing your kids for a handful of dollars thing is really taking off these days.

If this truly was a genuine accident, then this woman is simply a blittering idiot.

RIP poor children.
 
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rod2pop said:
Same goes for the "swift" water...
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To be fair, those canals are very deceptive. And the photo in the article is not the actual scene of the tragedy, but a representative photo of the canal.Even when the water looks calm, it actually can run quite fast. That of course can be a good thing if a person has an evil deed in mind. While awaiting more facts, I'm going with the incredibly stupid accident scenario.
 
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Muriel Schwenck said:
To be fair, those canals are very deceptive. Even when the water looks calm, it actually can run quite fast. That of course can be a good thing if a person has an evil deed in mind. While awaiting more facts, I'm going with the incredibly stupid accident scenario.
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I'll admit the water could look deceptive. The police and such said it can, at times, move rapidly, so I have no reason to disbelieve them. HOWEVER, I will say...if my child was drowning, there is no body of water that could move faster than me.

I don't think the walls of that thing are very steep though. I would have run ahead, then scooted down the wall and into the water where I could meet them and get their heads above water. I would do anything to save my child's life, because if she perished because of my inability to save her, I would be so guilt-ridden afterwards I would have to take my own life, whether it was even humanly possible for me to save her or not. That's what I think drives any parent to go to any length to rescue their child - except, apparently, those parents featured in stories on this site.
 
Buffettgirl said:
Reserving judgement until more info is available...
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With you on that one.

Could be a complete accident and unimaginable tragedy but at the moment I have some nagging questions in my mind that I want to wait until I read answers to before I pass judgment.
 
Buffettgirl said:
I've seen some canal walls that are WAY more daunting that the ones in that photo.
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That part and letting go with both hands bothers me too. I don't for a second think that the canal wasn't running fast because I too know that the water can be seriously moving in those. But the "steep" sides and letting go with both hands, both of those bug me.

I also pray there is nothing nefarious behind this...
 
Yeah, I'm with y'all. There's something missing here, or maybe this time it's me grasping for straws, idk. My gut instinct says tragedy, too, but something about the whole bee thing just seems too dumb and convenient, maybe?

All I know for sure is that right or wrong (and I'm not saying it would be right), @rod2pop captured my own personal thing, assuming I didn't have other children to live for.
I will say...if my child was drowning, there is no body of water that could move faster than me...I would do anything to save my child's life, because if she perished because of my inability to save her, I would be so guilt-ridden afterwards I would have to take my own life, whether it was even humanly possible for me to save her or not.
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I would have stopped dropped and rolled down those steep banks... Nothing would stop me from saving my children, if it was the current I suppose I would have been washed away as well...
 
I would have stopped dropped and rolled down those steep banks... Nothing would stop me from saving my children, if it was the current I suppose I would have been washed away as well...
 
She did jump into the water immediately to try and save them but the water was to fast and to deep. It took an hour for them to locate the boys. They were only found after they slowed the current, lowered the water level and by using a helicopter. To me that indicates they were swept far away, very fast. As much as we as parents would love to think we could somehow manage to save our children in circumstances like this, sometimes that just isn't realistic.

I honestly think it was just a horrible accident. I, personally have a strong hatred of bees. When I was younger a group of friends and I were out running around the neighborhood playing on a hot sunny day. We stopped in a local church yard to sit under the big shady trees. I kneeled in the grass and received over 20 bee stings to my legs. Even to hear the buzzing sound makes me duck and bolt, flailing my arms like a mad man. I could see her letting go of the stroller and it rolling. She wouldn't have to be right at the edge of the bank for it to be able to roll forward. The ground around the banks is usually slanted ever so slightly to allow water run off to enter the canal.
 
Krystal said:
With you on that one.

Could be a complete accident and unimaginable tragedy but at the moment I have some nagging questions in my mind that I want to wait until I read answers to before I pass judgment.
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Same here. At first read, I was like "bitch be a liar," but then I considered that I don't have all the facts yet and freak accidents do indeed happen sometimes. So I could go either way with the mother, but the poor father—my heart goes out to him BIG TIME!
 
Krystal said:
That definitely helps in explaining the both hands off the stroller. Thanks:kiss:
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Although it kinda raises the question of: why didn't you grab the stroller handles with all your might and run to get yourself and your kids away from the bees??

Edited to add: And why the feck was the stroller facing down the embankment? The jogging path was completely flat. :shifty: Suspicion of mom just went up a notch after watching the video of the actual scene.
 
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Oberle said:
Although it kinda raises the question of: why didn't you grab the stroller handles with all your might and run to get yourself and your kids away from the bees??
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Momentary panic? Ones first response to insects swarming is to swat at them and maybe that's what happened and it set off the chain of events.

I do absolutely agree to grab the stroller and run but I think, maybe, I can see why she wouldn't have thought of that first is all.
 
Krystal said:
Momentary panic? Ones first response to insects swarming is to swat at them and maybe that's what happened and it set off the chain of events.

I do absolutely agree to grab the stroller and run but I think, maybe, I can see why she wouldn't have thought of that first is all.
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But how did the stroller get turned to face down the embankment with the wheels over the edge? (cause that's the only way I can see for it to roll down into the canal)
 
I'm scared shitless of water. Almost drowned when I was a senior in high school, cause all I can manage is a dog paddle, yet I decided to cross the resivoir with all my clothes on.

Why was she so close to the edge of a canal with her babies? That I don't get.
 
Oberle said:
But how did the stroller get turned to face down the embankment with the wheels over the edge? (cause that's the only way I can see for it to roll down into the canal)
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It was a jogging stroller. Most models of them only have 1 front wheel, even on the tandem ones. The wheels swivel as well. The slightest slant would cause the wheel to turn and the stroller to roll.

@Nell There's a picture of the actual canal at one of the news links, I'll try and find it again. It's a open green space with a nice walking path along the top of the canal. I can see why people would walk/jog there, it's very pretty.
 
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Oberle said:
But how did the stroller get turned to face down the embankment with the wheels over the edge? (cause that's the only way I can see for it to roll down into the canal)
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I got nothing on that. Every time I think of an explanation for one part of this, the explanation brings up even more questions.

And with each I'm still struck with how steep something would need to be for me not to get down it and try to save my children, and that's certainly steeper than the canal sides in the pictures.
 
When Mina was stroller age, my husband and I went for a walk along a stretch of main road in town. I'm not allergic to bees, nor am I particularly scared of them. Only been stung once in my life. But, if one suddenly buzzes an ear, it's instinctual for me to momentarily lose it, both hands flailing toward my face.

As was the situation on this walk. And it happened at the most inopportune spot, just as we began to pass a crosswalk, where the sidewalk will slope down to accommodate. If my husband hadn't been there to snag the stroller as it began to take off (quickly) down the slope, Mina could have very well been killed by traffic.

It still gives me goosebumps to think about. So, I know how quickly and easily this sort of situation can create itself, and I don't doubt her story.

My heart bleeds for her knowing she went into the water to save them and couldn't manage. For the two most important people in your life to slip through your grasp like that... what a nightmare. :(
 
If bees are swarming, which is common in springtime, they are gorged with honey and just looking for a new home. All a person needs to do is lower the head, and move calmly away. The bees are really mild while swarming. Do not panic just because there is a cloud of them. Just walk away. That is your helpful hint for the day.
Of course, there are Africanized bees, and they can be nasty, but standard honey bees don't cause much trouble and a person can get away with no stings. This does appear to be a terrible accident, but a few stings is better than drowning.
Of course, sometimes people say "bees" when they mean yellow jacket wasps. Now those little bastards are trouble, but still, remain calm, move away.
The rest of her life, this woman will wish she had grabbed that stroller and moved away. VERY SAD.
 
I have a jogging stroller it has a safety strap on it that attaches from it to the parent. I always use it. Now will be more vigilant about it. I am sure her's has one too and she is going to be beating herself up over it.
 
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Krystal said:
I got nothing on that. Every time I think of an explanation for one part of this, the explanation brings up even more questions.

And with each I'm still struck with how steep something would need to be for me not to get down it and try to save my children, and that's certainly steeper than the canal sides in the pictures.
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But she did try to save them. She got into the water, but the current pulled them away, so she called for help. And other commentors in the linked articles have stated that the paths are not perfectly flat, but inclined slightly towards the canal, so that runoff will drain into it. So unless the stroller were pointed away from the canal when she released it (in which case it would probably just roll backwards?) it would end up rolling towards the bank at an angle, and would obviously change direction (towards the canal) rather abruptly as soon as it went over the edge.
 
I know we're all a little suspect with all the horrible things we've read here over the years, but I'm thinking this really was just a tragic accident.
...
Yuma police said 26-year-old Alexis Keslar jumped into the steep-sloped canal Friday but couldn't rescue the boys because the deep water was moving too fast.

Police on Tuesday issued a statement detailing how the twins ended up in the canal and said the Yuma County medical examiner determined that the deaths were accidental drownings.
...
"We're not seeing any criminal actions or activity," police Lt. Don Willits said.

He said Keslar managed to get out of the canal, but she'd lost her cellphone in the water. She yelled for help, and a Yuma city public works employee who was nearby heard her and called 911, Willits said.

It took authorities more than an hour, however, to find and retrieve the boys
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http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/...710.html?cps=gravity_2377_2366151803218614740

twins.jpg
 
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I'm glad the mom reacted and tried to save her children. I just wish she had called for help first! Remember this lesson folks. Call for help first!! It still may not have saved these precious boys but they would have had a better chance of being found sooner by those that are trained and able. I know mom just reacted. Not blaming her!! My heart goes out to her.
 
I'm sure if presented with this scenario prior to this happening the mother would have also said "nothing would prevent me from getting to my children", but it's naïve to think that anyone could or would have done anything differently in this same situation.
 
What I asked on the FP is, why are chicks always swatting at bees that otherwise wouldn't bother them, wasn't it a universal lesson in childhood 101? If I was the father I'd be pretty pissed:confused:
 
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