Landon Vinson, 2, sits with mom and dad, Lindsey and Dale Vinson, Monday after being released from Shands in Gainesville after a near drowning Saturday.

Walking into the home of Kim and Mike Hart, two-year-old Landon Vinson gave a quick “hello.” You would never know by looking at him that on Saturday little Landon almost lost his life in a near drowning.

What seemed to be a typical Saturday afternoon at the residence of James (Buddy) and Dollie Crews, great-grandparents of Landon, turned out to be anything but normal.

While four generations of family members visited at the Crews residence, Landon managed to unlock the back door and wander outside on his own around 2:30 p.m. off CR 252 near Taylor Store.

Noticing that Landon was not in site, his mother, Lindsey Vinson of Albany, quickly went outside and found the toddler at the bottom of the in-ground swimming pool at the residence.

Instinctively, Vinson plunged to the bottom of the pool and carried her son out of the water. He was not breathing.

“God had placed everyone in the right place at the right time,” said Lindsey Vinson’s mother, Kim Hart of Live Oak.

Hart’s sister, Pam Clayton, also of Live Oak happened to be at the residence as well. Clayton, a registered nurse who is certified in prenatal care, began CPR on young Landon.

Landon’s great-grandmother, Dollie Crews, immediately called 911 and readily acknowledges the quick response of Suwannee County Fire/Rescue. “Still,” she says with a soothing smile, “it seemed like an eternity.”

“All I could do is pray and pray,” Hart added. “I felt so helpless.”

According to the family, it is their belief and the belief of the doctors that Landon was in the pool for no more than 2 or 3 minutes, but that was long enough for him to become unresponsive.

According to Dollie Crews, when SCFR arrived on the scene, Clayton had been working with Landon for several minutes and he was breathing and his little heart was beating again.

SCFR had already dispatched a life flight helicopter to pick Landon up at the scene and fly him to Shands in Gainesville. After 12 grueling hours, the family learned there was no damage to Landon’s body and he was going to be okay.

Landon had been visiting his grandparents in Suwannee County while his parents were involved in a summer youth camp. At the end of the week, Vinson drove down from Albany to visit family and carry Landon home.

Upon learning of the incident, Landon’s father, Reverend Dale W. Vinson, was driven to Gainesville by the pastor of Lakeside Baptist Church in Albany, where Vinson serves as youth pastor.

Dale Vinson expressed his gratitude for the many prayers and kind words spoken during this time.

“The outpouring of prayers has been unbelievable. We’ve had churches as far as New York offering special prayers for Landon,” said Dale Vinson.

Landon was released from the hospital Monday morning and has a long line of relatives waiting to hold him and rock him.

“My advice to any parent or grandparent is to learn CPR and teach children to swim as soon as possible,” Kim Hart stressed. “If not for my sister, we might not have our Landon today.”