Volleyball player Morgan Beck and her husband, Bode Miller, experienced an unspeakable tragedy last month when their 19-month-old daughter Emeline drowned in a neighbor’s pool.
Beck, 31, spoke out about the toddler’s death in an Instagram post on Tuesday, July 17, in hopes of raising awareness about water safety.
“It’s been 37 days since I’ve held my baby girl. I pray to God no other parent feels this pain,” the professional athlete began. She added that her heart is with Tennessee mom Nicole Hughes, whose son Levi, 3, drowned during a family vacation on June 10.
In her caption, Beck ticked off alarming statistics. Drowning is the leading cause of unintentional death for children ages 1 to 4, according to the Centers for Disease Control. The Consumer Product Safety Commission reported that 69 percent of kids were in the water unexpectedly.
“We talk about vaccinations, car seats, organic foods, screen time, etc at length . . . but not the number one risk for your childrens’ lives face . . . a silent killer,” Beck wrote. “It takes SECONDS. Please share and help us spread awareness. It’s the first step to preventing these kinds of tragedies.”
Miller, winner of six Olympic Alpine skiing medals, took to Instagram on June 11 to share the horrible news that “Emmy” had passed away one day earlier. “We are beyond devastated,” the 40-year-old revealed at the time. “Never in a million years did we think we would experience a pain like this. Her love, her light, her little spirit will never be forgotten. Our little girl loved life and lived it to it’s fullest every day.”
Emmy drowned in an accident at a neighbor’s pool party in Coto de Caza, California. Paramedics unsuccessfully tried to resuscitate Emmy after the accident and rushed her to an emergency room. “They had no pulses the whole way,” Orange County Firee Authority Capt. Tony Bommarito told CBS News in June. “It didn’t end well.”
The couple are also parents of Nash, 3, and are expecting a baby in October 2018. Miller has children from previous relationships: Daughter Neesyn, 10, and son Samuel, 5.
Beck and Miller tied the knot in October 2012.
