Florida mother drowns while saving 4-year-old son who fell into river

A Florida mother of six died after jumping into a river to rescue her 4-year-old son, who had fallen into the water while trying to retrieve a toy, authorities said.

Nicole Grayson, 43, entered the St. Johns River on Saturday at a park near DeLand after her son leaned over a low wooden fence to recover a toy and fell into the water, according to the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office.

A nearby boater who heard Grayson’s calls for help rushed to the scene and managed to pull the boy from the river. However, Grayson slipped beneath the surface before she could be rescued.

Another bystander helped bring her onto the boat and immediately began performing CPR. Grayson was taken to a hospital, where she was later pronounced dead.

Grayson’s 9-year-old son, Koron, told local station WESH that his mother put her children’s safety above her own.

“She saved my little brother, but she didn’t worry about herself,” he said.

The 43-year-old worked as a hospice nurse and was the mother of six children. Family members described her as devoted and selfless, saying she would have done anything to protect her children.