Mother dies rescuing her 2-year-old son

A mother of two drowned after jumping into a Utah lake after her 2-year-old son went overboard from a moving houseboat.  She was able to hold him over her head long enough for him to be rescued but she died in the process.

Chelsey Russell, 33, of Lakewood, Colorado was vacationing on the boat on Lake Powell, a popular man-made lake when her son, who was not wearing a life jacket, went into the water.

She jumped in to save him.  She was not wearing a life jacket either.  The two floated quite a distance from the boat before a family member was able to untie a smaller boat and reach them.

Russell was able to hold her son above water long enough for him to be rescued.

“The conscious child was rescued from atop the mother’s chest however; the mother was unconscious when pulled from the water,” according to a message posted on the San Jan County Sheriff's Office Facebook page.release.

CPR was attempted for an extended period of time on Russell but the efforts failed to revive her.

Russell was an associate at the law firm Welborn, Sullivan, Meck & Tooley. The firm posted a statement on its website saying:  “Chelsey was an amazing mother, an exceptional legal talent, an extraordinary athlete, a loyal and generous friend, and left us all better for knowing her. She is sorely missed.”

The child was flown to a hospital as a precautionary measure but was expected to survive.