Memorial Service Held For Boy Electrocuted In Family Pool
NORTH MIAMI (CBSMiami) -- A memorial service was held Friday for a 7-year-old boy who died over the weekend while swimming in his family's North Miami pool.
Through tears and laughter, his parents shared stories about the boy they dubbed "Mr. Awesome" in hopes of helping others avoid a similar tragedy.
"It is not easy to see, as a parent or anybody with a soul in this room, to see a tragedy like Calder sitting in a box," Chris Sloan said of his son.
Calder Sloan was racing his nanny's son in the pool when both of them were shocked.
Calder was electrocuted, police said.
His father blames a fault pool light, which witnesses said was very corroded.
"He loved the water. Fishing, swimming, driving a boat. He wanted to go really fast. He could swim like a fish," Chris Sloan explained.
A neighbor who ran over to help said he was also zapped while trying to perform CPR.
"I was at my house watching TV when someone came and knocked on my door. I ran over... he was blue," Fabian Pesantes told CBS4's Lauren Pastrana. "As I'm performing the CPR, I'm getting vomit on my face on my mouth. So I stick my hand in the pool to wipe myself off and I'm getting shocked," Pesantes explained.
At the funeral, Calder's dad acknowledged the people who tried to rescue his son.
"We've been through hell. All you tried to do was save calder's life and there's absolutely nothing you could have done. You did everything," Sloan said.
Calder's mother spoke of her son's good heart and care for others.
She teared up while describing what life would be like without her oldest son.
"I will pull myself up for another day, a day absent from the great light that shone from within Calder Jacob Sloan," Carla Sloan said.
His younger brother Caleb read a letter during the ceremony.
The boy's family wanted to service to be public so others could learn a valuable lesson.
"Please, everybody, the reason we wanted the news media here is get your electric, the things you never expect, get your elecrtrcitiy checked. Make sure your house is grounded, your pool light is grounded. Make sure. Just, anything physically possible," Chris Sloan said. "You gotta hold your kids tight and protect them."
A memorial fund has been set up in Calder's name for those who'd like to help.
Donations can be sent to:
Lehrman Community Day School
Memo: Calder J Sloan Legacy Fund
727 77th St
Miami Beach, Fl 33141
Attn: Jodi Bruce, Head of School
