MIAMI — A 2-year-old boy is being called a true blessing after surviving a near-drowning at a pool party in northeast Miami-Dade earlier this month.
Raphael, described by his family as bright-eyed, lively and happy, is now back home after what his mother says could have been the worst day of her life.
“I’m so grateful that my son came out of it the way he did, and there’s so many other parents that didn’t get as lucky as I did,” said his mother, Tina Biton.
On March 3, what began as a fun pool party at home near the 20000 block of Northeast 22nd Court quickly turned into a life-or-death emergency.
“He went in the pool,” Biton said. “My husband started shrieking. He pulled him out of the water. He was white and blue, and it was a horrible thing to see, and thank God this angel here was at my home.”
That “angel” was family friend Talya Ben David, who immediately sprang into action.
“I just did whatever I thought I needed to do in that moment. I started the compressions, and he started to come back and bring out all the water, and thank God he was breathing again,” Ben David said.
Bar Shlomi Biton, Raphael’s father, later reunited with and thanked the first responders who helped save his son’s life.
“We’re truly grateful for God, for the second chance he give us with our kid, and for his messengers he sent to be able to save our son life,” he said.
The toddler spent three days at Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital before being released. His family says all of his tests came back perfect.
“Just never give up. Have faith, never give up — that’s the only thing I can say. Keep fighting, keep praying, keep giving and everything, and hopefully one day things will be perfect,” Tina Biton said.
Pembroke Pines Fire offers free monthly CPR classes. You can find that information on their website. You can also find CPR classes in Miami-Dade County by clicking here.
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